This is a story about Elon Musk, SpaceX, Twitter,and adifficult truth. If you like it, I think you'll also enjoy my ebook, Elon Musk Has Very Big Plans, which you can download here for free.<\/p>\n
Our story begins with something Musktweeted in responsetoa journalist's report on thelegal battle between SpaceX and Amazonover efforts to build and launch satellites providing broadband Internet connectivity.<\/p>\n
All of which brings us to the threemost recent FCC filings in this ongoing battle, which in turn prompted Musk's tweet:<\/p>\n
\"Amazon's recent missive is unfortunately only the latest in its continuing efforts to slow down competition ...while neglecting to resolve the Commission's concerns about Amazon's own non-geostationary orbit ('NGSO') satellite system.<\/p>\n
...<\/p>\n
While Amazon has waited 15 months to explain how its system works, it has lodged objections to SpaceX on average about every 16 days this year.\"<\/p>\n
With that, we reach Musk's tweet, which came in response to a reportby Michael Sheetz,who covers space forCNBC:<\/p>\n
\"Filing legal actions against SpaceX is *actually* his full-time job.\"<\/p>\n
I laughed out loud for a secondwhen I read this. Even though Jeff Bezos is only referred to once in the FCC legal documents that I can find (and not even by name), we all knowwho Musk has to bereferring to here. Right? At least I think so.<\/p>\n
And it's amusing to watch sometimes as Musk trolls Bezos on Twitter. He really seems to enjoy it. However,I think there's also abrutal, messy, ugly truth contained within thetweet.<\/p>\n
Assuming this is a very thinly-veileddig at Bezos,weallknow that Bezos's full-time job is not really to use the legal system toadvocate for Kuiper, and often against SpaceX. (He's busy these days riding rockets, and executive-chairmaning.)<\/p>\n
But, it issomebody's job.<\/p>\n
Whose job? Well, within its recentfiling,SpaceX says Amazon \"routinely brings as many as six lobbyists and lawyers to its many meetings with the Commission about SpaceX.\"<\/p>\n
Meanwhile, SpaceX'sdirector of satellite policy, who signed the latest filing, is an accomplished lawyer who previously worked as a senior advisor to the former FCC chairman and in Congress.<\/p>\n
And that, I venture to say --even though most people don't like to admit it -- that this is exactlyhowour system is designed to work. I'd even go so far as to say it's a good thing, all things considered.<\/p>\n
Because,we're talking about the launching of many thousands of commercial satellites -- an unprecedented scale -- along with the groundbreaking use of frequency spectrum.It's difficult even to think through the second and third-order effects, along with the size of the opportunity.<\/p>\n
So, even people who want less government overall mightagree that in this case, it probably makes sense to have a strong regulatory framework in place.<\/p>\n
Granted, it can be messy, delaying, annoying, and frustrating. But what's the alternative?<\/p>\n
At the extreme,it would bea complete free-for-all, in which any company couldinterfere with any other company, and which paradoxically might discourage the best companies from competing in the first place.<\/p>\n
Long-time readers will know that I am eager for SpaceX, or OneWeb, or Amazon, or some other company--I'm truly agnostic as to which one--to achieve the goal of bringing high-speed broadband Internet access to the mostremote places.<\/p>\n
I've seen first-hand how a lack of broadband access can hold rural areas back in the 21st century.So,Ithink Iunderstand the urgency.<\/p>\n
Now,I don't necessarily think Musk was trying to make all these points about the regulatory state and the legal system and innovation. I think he'smore likely just taking the opportunity to roast Bezos again.<\/p>\n
But he's nevertheless revealed something important.<\/p>\n
Since the time of Shakespeare, people have complained about lawyers. Heck, I complain about them, and I'm a non-practicing lawyer myself.<\/p>\n
Still, when it comes to complicated business endeavors, there's an advantage to having a robust, complicated legal system.To paraphrase another great and bold thinker of an earlier time,it might just be the worst possible system,except for all those others that have everbeen tried.<\/p>\n
Regardless, it's the system we live under.And when you're caught up in it, no matter what kind of business you're running, you'll be gladthat somebody's \"actual full-time job\"isto be your zealous advocate.<\/p>\n
(Don't forget the free ebook: Elon Musk Has Very Big Plans, which you can download here.)<\/p>\n
The opinions expressed here by Inc.com columnists are their own, not those of Inc.com.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
Originally posted here:<\/p>\n
Elon Musk's 'Full-Time Job' Tweet Was Funny, But It Revealed a Brutal Truth Most People Don't Admit - Inc.<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" This is a story about Elon Musk, SpaceX, Twitter,and adifficult truth. Continue reading