CHP ticket pilot with an apparent SpaceX Starlink antenna on the hood – .

“Sir, I arrested you today for that visual obstruction on your hood. Doesn’t it block your view while you are driving? The Antelope Valley CHP wrote in a Facebook post about the incident.CHP added that the motorist replied, “Only when I make right turns. “

A law enforcement official told CNBC that the motorist, driving a Toyota Prius, was ticketed for a moving violation. The motorist told CHP he used the antenna to get Wi-Fi service for a business he operated from the car.SpaceX did not immediately respond to CNBC’s request for comment.

Starlink is the company’s capital-intensive project to build an interconnected Internet network with thousands of satellites, known in the space industry as a constellation, designed to provide high-speed Internet to consumers all over the planet.The “Starlink Kit” sent to customers consists of four important parts: the user terminal (also called an antenna), a tripod mount, a Wi-Fi router and a power supply. SpaceX also offers rooftop mounting options at an additional cost.

SpaceX first rolled out the service with a beta program to some consumers for $ 99 per month last October, and last year sought regulatory approval to test the network in flight and extend the service to large moving vehicles. , like ships and trucks – but the vehicle antenna should be somewhat different from the satellite dish currently sent to home users.

Elon Musk noted earlier this week that SpaceX now has around 70,000 active Starlink users and could reach “maybe over 500,000 users within 12 months.”