The FCC decided it wouldn’t be the “best” use of limited funds.

Starlink loses out on $886 million in rural broadband subsidies::The FCC reaffirmed a decision not to award Starlink a nearly $900 million subsidy for offering 100Mbps/20Mbps low-latency internet service in 35 states.

  • echo64@lemmy.worldEnglish
    192·
    9 months ago

    If your business plan involves firing out infinite rockets full of cell towers forever. You should probably just spend the money on copper instead.

    • Ilovethebomb@lemm.eeEnglish
      72·
      9 months ago

      I don’t think you quite understand just how remote some people are. Besides, Starlink is also being used on vessels and aircraft, good luck getting copper out to them.

      Also, fibre optic is how the cool people Internet these days.

      • echo64@lemmy.worldEnglish
        52·
        9 months ago

        I don’t think you understand that a lot of copper is still less than infinite rockets forever

          • alsimoneau@lemmy.caEnglish
            0·
            9 months ago

            The issue with starlink is the choice to be in LEO instead of using geosats. It lowers the latency but it makes the whole project completely unsustainable.

            • Ilovethebomb@lemm.eeEnglish
              13·
              9 months ago

              I suspect they’ll eventually move to a slightly higher orbit, where their satellites can last a decade or so, once the technology is more mature.

        • Ilovethebomb@lemm.eeEnglish
          12·
          9 months ago

          This is the kind of dumb statement that really gives this platform a bad name. I know people who were quoted a six figure sum to get mains power to their property, fibre would have been a similar cost. And this is people who are at a fixed location, we also have those who are mobile to consider.

          There are people for whom a wired connection to anything is out of the question.