SpaceX gains official approval to launch high-speed satellite Internet service - The Washington Post

A mixed day for Elon Musk yesterday; also see Tesla Looked Like the Future. Now Some Ask if It Has One. (NYT)

"Regulators at the Federal Communications Commission issued the approval late Thursday, saying it was the first time the agency had approved a U.S.-licensed satellite operation using the broadband technology.

The order comes weeks after SpaceX launched demo satellites, Tintin A and Tintin B, into orbit to test the concept. SpaceX's first satellites are expected to come online next year.

The proposed satellite network would differ from current satellite data technology, which is slow and expensive. Under Musk's plan, SpaceX's satellite fleet would orbit much closer to Earth than traditional communications satellites that stay in geostationary orbit high above Earth. That means data will travel to and from the satellite much more quickly — increasing the speed and reliability of the connection."

SpaceX gains official approval to launch high-speed satellite Internet service - The Washington Post