SpaceX: Sunset High-Cost Programs

On May 11th through 13th, SpaceX met with the offices of Federal Communications Commission Chairman Carr, FCC Commissioner Trusty, and FCC Commissioner Gomez, and with the Wireless Telecommunications Bureau, to discuss reassessment of High-Cost programs in the context of satellite broadband services delivering broadband at competitive rates throughout the areas supported by High-Cost programs... The rapid growth of low-Earth orbit satellite broadband service in recent years has made high-speed, low-latency broadband access available throughout the entirety of the United States. As the Commission considers reforming certain High-Cost universal service programs, it should seek to align these programs to the reality of ubiquitous broadband availability, as well as the Commission’s broader agenda to modernize its rules and sunset outdated legacy programs. The Commission should ensure its upcoming High-Cost proceeding evaluates the impact of satellite broadband that, together with increasing availability of unsubsidized terrestrial broadband and new deployments funded by the Broadband Equity Access and Deployment Program (BEAD) program, delivers broadband connectivity to all Americans, providing a basis for the High-Cost mechanisms in question to be phased out and funding to be redirected to more productive ends."

[May 13, 2026]