Musk blasted the FCC for ‘illegally’ pulling the Starlink award, saying it would help victims of Hurricane Helene

Billionaire businessman Elon musk Wednesday said the Federal Communications Commission’s decision not to move forward with an award to SpaceX’s Starlink to provide rural broadband could cost lives in North Carolina as Hurricane Helene hits.

Musk, CEO of SpaceX, responded to a post on X from a user who stated that “North Carolina will have 19,522 Starlink kits that can be used now after Hurricane Helene got the FCC not to cancel the grant awarded to SpaceX as a winning bidder.”

“If the FCC had not illegally revoked the SpaceX Starlink award, it would have likely saved lives in North Carolina,” Musk wrote in his response. “Lawfare costs lives.”

The western part of North Carolina was hit particularly hard by Hurricane Helenewhich also brought devastation to other parts of the Southeast after it made landfall in Florida’s Big Bend area as a category 4 hurricane. At least 170 people have been confirmed dead in six states – Florida, Georgia, South Carolina, North Carolina, Virginia and Tennessee – in what is now the second deadliest hurricane to hit the US mainland.

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SpaceX’s Starlinkwhich provides high-speed internet through satellite connections, was awarded $885 million by the FCC in 2020 to help expand high-speed internet access around the country in rural areas.

The The FCC was repealed it initially awarded in 2022, with the reason that Starlink would not be able to meet the requirements of the program, and reaffirmed the decision in December 2023.

An FCC spokesperson told FOX Business in a statement, “Chairman Rosenworcel stands by the FCC’s thorough review of programs intended to provide long-term access to reliable and affordable broadband in rural communities.”

“In this instance, the agency denied public funding to more than a dozen companies — not just Starlink — that did not meet the program’s requirements. Fully compliant with rules and laws,” the FCC statement continued.

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FCC Commissioner Brendan Carr, who criticized the agency’s decision not to grant rural broadband funding to SpaceX, told FOX Business: “There’s no question that communities across the country would be in a better position today, in terms of connectivity, if the government had not legally cancel the 2020 Starlink award legally won.

Carr previously told FOX Business that he saw the decision to cancel Starlink’s award as motivated by partisan politics in the light President Biden’s Earlier statements that Musk’s relations with other countries were “worthy of scrutiny” and other federal agencies of regulatory scrutiny have done Musk’s business.

TRUMP SAYS HE TALKED TO ELON MUSK ABOUT DEPLOYING STARLINK IN THE HELENE AREA.

Citizens of the community are affected by Hurricane Helenethat caused historic flooding to western North Carolina, are still trying to restore communications and power to affected areas – efforts hampered by the level of damage to roads and bridges in the region.

Former President Trump said Monday that he “just told Elon” because he wanted to “get Starlink hooked up because they don’t have any communication” due to storm damage.

The White Building spokesman Andrew Bates has posted Monday afternoon on X that “this has happened”. In an update Wednesday, Bates said on X that FEMA has helped provide 67 total Starlink systems to the state.

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The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) said in a press release on Wednesday that it has provided 50 Starlink satellite systems to help responders’ communications.

Starlink said Tuesday that a total of about 500 Starlink kits have arrived or will arrive in areas affected by Hurricane Helene.

Musk also announced that Starlink is working to make the system available in hurricane-affected areas regardless of payment status, essentially providing free access to those affected by Helene.

FOX Business’ Aislinn Murphy contributed to this report.