According to a letter that was issued to the Federal Communications Commission on Tuesday, SpaceX is interested in providing children in the United States with access to the Starlink internet service while they are moving on school buses.
Students on bus trips that take more than an hour one way and are “predominantly unavailable to other mobile internet services” are receiving help from SpaceX via the implementation of trial programs in rural parts of the United States, which are being carried out in partnership with local school districts.
According to what is stated in the application, “the overwhelming majority of the participating students will not have access to high-speed internet at home.”
Students will have the opportunity to maximize their commuting time by using connected school buses for important instructional internet usage, as well as time spent with family and friends or participating in recreational activities.
Nearly 17 million school-aged children do not have access to the internet in their homes, according to the FCC.
The letter was sent after SpaceX was granted permission by the FCC in July to utilize Starlink on moving vehicles, including airplanes, boats, trucks, and recreational vehicles (RVs).
