(Telecompaper) Elon Musk's SpaceX has asked the US government for permission to start testing its internet service from space project, the Washington Post reported. The plan would see the launch of 4,000 small and cheap satellites that would beam high-speed internet signals to all parts of the globe, including its most remote regions. Musk has said the effort "would be like rebuilding the internet in space." The filing was made with the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) late last month. Musk has asked for tests to begin next year and for services to start in about five years. The satellites would be deployed from one of SpaceX's rockets, the Falcon 9. Once in orbit, the satellites would connect to ground stations at three West Coast facilities. The purpose of the tests is to see whether the antenna technology used on the satellites will be able to successfully deliver high-speed internet to the ground.