[grecy]

> they are buying out a potential competitor

I think it's pretty clear SpaceX doesn't have any competitors in the satellite constellation business.

SpaceX will spend something like ten billion dollars to build out the full Starlink constellation using their own launch services, which are vastly cheaper than anything anyone else has.

Potential competitors would have to spend an insane amount of money to launch their constellations, which basically means it will never happen.

[sandworm101]

So they are in violation of antitrust rules? If space is the future, SpaceX is the railroad and should not grant cheaper rates for cargo from its other businesses.

[toomuchtodo]

Good luck arguing this to regulators. They are cheap, but not the only option, both in the US and globally.

[nickik]

That logic doesn't work with current court interpretation of Anti-Trust. Read Judge Richard Posner on modern Anti-Trust law. Its not the late 1800s where it was basically politicians driving Anti-Trust train.

[ctdonath]

Can argue SpaceX is a global telecom company which is selling excess transport capacity to fund their transport cost center.