A reminder that an effective monopoly can exist at the point of invention or market creation but that it will not be allowed to persist.

Competition is a concern when it comes to companies operating in low-Earth orbit, Federal Communications Commissions Chairwoman Jessica Rosenworcel said Wednesday, referring specifically to Starlink, the satellite internet constellation operated by SpaceX and its CEO, Elon Musk.

During a FedScoop-moderated discussion at the Global Aerospace Summit in Washington, D.C., Rosenworcel said that in her time leading the FCC, one thing that’s become clear to her is that “every communications market that has competition is stronger.”

She added, “We see lower prices and more innovation, and honestly, space should be no exception. So we do have one player that’s almost two-thirds of the satellites that are in space right now, and has a very high portion of internet traffic. And the way I see it is, our economy doesn’t benefit from monopolies.”

SpaceX’s Starlink constellation, which now has thousands of satellites in low-Earth orbit, has run into a series of hurdles at the FCC, which oversees satellite licenses and the spectrum the company uses. For example, back in 2022, the agency rescinded a nearly $1 billion subsidy focused on rural broadband. More recently, AT&T and Verizon have raised opposition to waivers, sought by SpaceX and T-Mobile, for out-of-band emissions limits.