By David Shepardson

WASHINGTON, (Reuters) – The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) announced Friday that it had circulated Boeing’s (NYSE:) Co application for approval to launch and operate 147 Satellites in order to offer broadband internet access.

Boeing applied to the FCC first in 2017, seeking permission to use a Vband Constellation that uses low earth orbit satellites and non-geostationary high-inclined orbit satellites, “to offer high speed broadband communications.”

Boeing wanted V-band constellation “to offer broadband Internet and communication services to residential users, governmental and professional users throughout the United States, Puerto Rico and US Virgin Islands.”

In 2019, Elon Musk’s SpaceX urged the FCC to reject Boeing’s plan saying it presented a “clear danger of harmful interference” to other systems or “at a minimum impose appropriate conditions to ensure that Boeing’s operations do not harm those of other” operators.

Boeing refused to comment on FCC Application circulated on Thursday by Jessica Rosenworcel (Acting FCC Chair)

As part of their push to provide space-based broadband Internet, the FCC approved SpaceX’s April plan to launch Starlink satellites to a lower Earth orbit than initially planned.

SpaceX applied to the FCC to fly 2,824 satellites from a lower orbit in order to offer high-speed internet service to the people without access.

FCC said SpaceX also accepted that they might encounter interference from satellites operating under Amazon’s Kuiper Systems satellite programme.

Amazon stated in July it was investing more than $10B to construct a network consisting of 3,236 low earth orbit satellites.

SpaceX plans to deploy approximately 12,000 satellites total. It previously stated that the Starlink constellation would cost SpaceX about $10 billion.

Although it is very expensive, satellite technology provides high-speed Internet for rural and hard-to reach areas where fibre optic cables or cell towers are not available. Satellite technology can also act as a backstop in the event of natural disasters like hurricanes and other severe weather events.