The US Federal Communications Commission (FCC) has approved an application by billionaire Elon Musk-owned SpaceX to deploy up to 7,500 second-generation satellites, the regulator said in a decision released Thursday.

"Our solution will enable SpaceX to begin rolling out the second-generation Starlink network, which will provide next-generation satellite broadband access to Americans across the country," the document says.

It is noted that the permission for SpaceX, among other things, is designed to protect terrestrial satellite operators from harmful interference and preserve the "safe space environment" and its resources for future use.

In September, the company challenged the FCC's decision to deny an application for $885 million in federal grants it planned to use to provide satellite internet to customers in rural areas. The regulator's refusal was based on the argument that the satellite dish owned by SpaceX is too expensive for ordinary users, and Starlink has not demonstrated that it is able to provide the promised service.

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