Technology from Elon Musk’s Starlink company is being tested at an FAA facility in New Jersey in a potential takeover a large federal contract to modernize the nation’s air traffic communications system, officials said.
Federal officials did not say how long the technology would need to be tested until being used across the aviation industry.
The tests are being conducted at the FAA’s William J. Hughes Technical Center in Egg Harbor Township adjacent to Atlantic City International Airport.
“This week, the FAA is testing Starlink at its facility in Atlantic City and at non-safety critical sites in Alaska,” an agency spokesperson said in a statement to NJ Advance Media. “Regarding the FENS program, no decisions have been made.”
The Future of Enterprise Network Services program provides communications across the agency’s National Airspace System, the spokesperson said.
Equipment from Musk’s Starlink could take over a $2 billion contract held by Verizon, according to the Associated Press, which cited government employees, contractors and people familiar with the work.
Musk said that the network used by air traffic controllers is aging and requires drastic and quick action to modernize it.
“The Verizon system is not working and so is putting air travelers at serious risk,” Musk on Monday posted on X, the social media site he has owned since 2022.
Musk has become an advisor to President Donald Trump, most notably leading the Department of Government Efficiency, which has planned sweeping job cuts across the federal government.
Musk’s technology, however, has been considered for the FAA since former President Joe Biden’s administration, the agency’s spokesperson said.
The plan is a part of the 2024 FAA Reauthorization enacted by Congress, which mandated the agency to address telecommunication shortfalls, the spokesperson said.
The initiative aims to increase reliability at remote sites, including in Alaska.
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Eric Conklin may be reached at econklin@njadvancemedia.com.