[FireBeyond]

> The federal government is incapable of efficiently allocating resources at scale, it's just the reality.

The US is the Land of Middlemen. Government are capable of doing so (see 'medical care in much of the rest of the world'). That doesn't specifically change that it is generally better for the "common good" that large infrastructure projects are often better in the hands of an entity that is not corporate profit-seeking at all costs.

> That's why we have things like the FCC, FAA and DoD who oversee things like telecommunications and rocket launches

SpaceX is using Tonga as a 'flag of convenience' for these launches, likely because Tonga has a far more lax regulatory oversight system - it's certainly not because of SpaceX's heavy connection to the Pacific island nation.

[robertlagrant]

> it's certainly not because of SpaceX's heavy connection to the Pacific island nation

They do have some connection: last year Starlink were there helping restore internet access after the volcano[0].

[0] https://uk.pcmag.com/networking/138575/spacexs-starlink-work...

[FireBeyond]

> last year Starlink were there helping restore internet access after the volcano

No, they weren't. Musk, et al, always have no shortage of people willing to pat them on the back for promises of future potentiality.

"SpaceX plans to establish a gateway ground station on Fiji".

"Last month, CEO Elon Musk mentioned the possibility of supplying Tonga residents with Starlink, if needed. Once a ground station is established in the South Pacific region"

"There’s no word on how long it’ll take for the company to get the ground station up and running. But the other obstacle is delivering Starlink dishes to residents in Tonga."

"In the meantime, the country still has access to other satellite internet providers"

That's a little "reaching" for 'being on the ground helping restore internet access'.

Even if that WAS the case, trying to connect that as "so now it makes perfect sense for us to apply for orbit slots from Tonga for eight times the volume of current Starling satellites as we currently have in orbit".

[inemesitaffia]

Starlink got there on time, is in use today and powers other islands next to Tonga that didn't have their fiber reconnected.

I know this because I was part of an org that sent equipment to Fiji schools