SpaceX just scored a key Starlink approval that could shake up the wireless market

Elon Musk's SpaceX was handed a win by the FCC. Sebastian Gollnow/picture alliance via Getty Images Elon Musk's SpaceX just scored a regulatory win that could give Starlink more power to compete with wireless giants Verizon, AT&T, and T-Mobile.The Federal Communications Commission officially granted SpaceX's request to deploy and operate 15,000 Starlink satellites to provide direct-to-device connectivity.Additionally, the FCC waived a rule that requires a leasing arrangement with one or more terrestrial wireless carriers, allowing SpaceX to use its own spectrum for the service."With this action, SpaceX's planned deployments will reshape spectrum-based connectivity by improving competition, allowing more consumers more choices in more places to further the Commission's goal to 'connect everyone, everywhere to modern communications services,'" the FCC said in its order released Monday.Still, SpaceX faces skepticism from the carriers it hopes to take on."We've seen no zero discernible impact on our broadband growth from any LEO, low earth orbit satellite provider, including Starlink," Verizon CEO Dan Schulman said at a Goldman Sachs conference last month.Schulman added that he does not view satellite as a "viable competitor in the medium and even longer term." Read next Natalie is a senior reporter on Business Insider's Business News team covering the AI and data center boom.She was previously on BI's Legal Affairs team, where she handled major cases coming out of state and federal court, as well as bankruptcy. Her coverage often focused on stories at the intersection of law, business, politics, and technology. Natalie has covered Donald Trump’s criminal and civil cases, the wave of lawsuits against the second Trump administration, the indictment and criminal trial of Sean “Diddy” Combs, the shooting death of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson, and the legal battles facing Elon Musk and his companies. Natalie came to Business Insider in June 2021 as a breaking news reporter, focusing on the most interesting angles on the day's trending news. Natalie largely drove BI’s coverage around the fatal “Rust” shooting involving Alec Baldwin and the disappearance and murder of Gabby Petito.Prior to joining BI, Natalie worked for the New York Post, the New York Daily News, and The Brooklyn Paper. She has an extensive background covering crime and courts. During her more than 12-year journalism career, she did a stint covering the police beat out of the New York Police Department's headquarters. Natalie, a Brooklyn native, graduated from Brooklyn College in 2012 with a degree in journalism. SpaceX Starlink Verizon More