Ok, now you're blowing my mind. I guess if most of the cost was permits then it won't have crazy ongoing operating expenses.
________________________________ From: AF <af-boun...@af.afmug.com> on behalf of ch...@go-mtc.com <ch...@go-mtc.com> Sent: Monday, December 23, 2024 1:14 PM To: af@af.afmug.com <af@af.afmug.com> Subject: [AFMUG] Fw: Beehive Broadband It looks like the non regulated Beehive Broadband company got the BEAD. From: Adam Moffett Sent: Monday, December 23, 2024 12:55 PM To: AnimalFarm Microwave Users Group Subject: Re: [AFMUG] Beehive Broadband I'm just catching up on this thread. What people need to remember is that Beehive is a telephone company. Telephone has a universal service mandate. Everybody else in the country puts their $5-10/month into USF so that these pockets of expensive installations can happen. They will get ongoing payments to make this viable. BEAD, like most of the other recent programs, covers capital expenses, not operating expenses. You still have to be able to make a business case showing that the service will be viable long term. This kind of $77k per passing situation isn't viable for anyone who's not a telephone company getting the additional help that telephone companies get. I don't think you're going to see any WISP's or FISP's getting that kind of project approved. Darin definitely makes a fair point that new technology like Starlink can provide universal service without burying fibers across miles of desert. That'll be especially true when they get cell phones talking to a low orbit satellite constellation (which I believe is in the works). Changing the situation will require congress to understand that the technology has changed and to pass an amendment to the Communications Act. That won't happen quickly, and Elon can't do it without participation of Congress, and there will be opposition from Telco lobbyists crafting their best arguments as to why the gravy must continue to flow into their mouths. Inevitably the law will change, but we might not live to see it. -Adam ________________________________ From: AF <af-boun...@af.afmug.com> on behalf of Darin Steffl <darin.ste...@mnwifi.com> Sent: Wednesday, December 18, 2024 4:06 PM To: AnimalFarm Microwave Users Group <af@af.afmug.com> Subject: Re: [AFMUG] Beehive Broadband $77k per location passed with no guarantee you even get the customer is absurd!!! Once the cost per passing exceeds a reasonable cost per dwelling, no funding should be awarded. I don't know what that number is but let's say if it costs $20k to pass a dwelling and the BEAD funding covers 50% then both the govt and ISP puts up $10k each to pass, that seems fair for fiber. But if the govt is offering $77k per passing and the ISP some amount of $$ in addition, that project should NOT be funded. This is especially true today when Starlink and gear like Tarana is available and Kuiper is coming. The argument for high cost passings may have made a little more sense 5+ years ago before Starlink and Tarana but today, any passing cost above $20k should automatically be opened to WISPs or LEO networks. If an area is truly this expensive to serve then fiber is not a necessity and they can live fine with Starlink or a WISP. Fiber is great but only when there's a reasonable ROI. Chuck's example of $200k per passing is an absolute waste of money and should have never been funded under any circumstances. Being that it was 15 years ago, people could move somewhere else or use an alternate provider like Viasat or Hughesnet. On Wed, Dec 18, 2024 at 2:08 PM <ch...@go-mtc.com> wrote: eplanning.blm.gov/public_projects/nepa/99183/138915/170930/IDT_Checklist_-_California_Survival_School_508.pdf<https://eplanning.blm.gov/public_projects/nepa/99183/138915/170930/IDT_Checklist_-_California_Survival_School_508.pdf> Maybe that link will work. This is an example. From: Colin Stanners Sent: Wednesday, December 18, 2024 12:38 PM To: AnimalFarm Microwave Users Group Subject: Re: [AFMUG] Beehive Broadband Could you give a breakdown of where that $200K per location for NEPA compliance went? What did those archaeologists and engineers do? On Wed, Dec 18, 2024, 1:15 p.m. <ch...@go-mtc.com> wrote: Yes, while this number looks crazy, I spent that much per location 15 years ago in rural nevada to serve about 22 farms and ranches with fiber. Most of the cost, over $200K per location was for permitting, mostly NEPA compliance. We had archaeologists and engineers out there for a couple years. From: Ken Hohhof Sent: Wednesday, December 18, 2024 11:49 AM To: 'AnimalFarm Microwave Users Group' Subject: [AFMUG] Beehive Broadband The announcement of Nevada BEAD funding included this: * Beehive Broadband: $22,025,793 for 286 locations Chuck, is that your old company? ________________________________ -- AF mailing list AF@af.afmug.com http://af.afmug.com/mailman/listinfo/af_af.afmug.com -- AF mailing list AF@af.afmug.com http://af.afmug.com/mailman/listinfo/af_af.afmug.com ________________________________ -- AF mailing list AF@af.afmug.com http://af.afmug.com/mailman/listinfo/af_af.afmug.com -- AF mailing list AF@af.afmug.com http://af.afmug.com/mailman/listinfo/af_af.afmug.com -- Darin Steffl Minnesota WiFi www.mnwifi.com<http://www.mnwifi.com/> 507-634-WiFi Like us on Facebook<http://www.facebook.com/minnesotawifi> ________________________________ -- AF mailing list AF@af.afmug.com http://af.afmug.com/mailman/listinfo/af_af.afmug.com
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