The BEAD director who quit was not complaining of rule changes that would make Starlink count as already providing broadband. He was complaining of proposed rule changes that would make Starlink eligible for funding. https://arstechnica.com/tech-policy/2025/03/trump-plan-to-fund-musks-starlink-over-fiber-called-betrayal-of-rural-us/
Full text of the director's email to his colleagues: https://bsky.app/profile/craigsilverman.bsky.social/post/3lkiye5n2dk2p He's not specific about what the proposed changes were.....presumably the intended audience didn't need it spelled out. My impression is: * Fiber projects were originally to be the highest priority, but now low-orbit satellite will increase in priority * A cost/location limit which will disqualify some areas from getting fiber * Some sort of "best bargain" rule which will effectively shut fixed wireless out of BEAD because low-orbit satellite will always be cheaper on a cost/household basis in unserved rural areas. The director states that he doesn't know the exact thresholds that will be set, so he doesn't know how much fiber will end up being replaced with Starlink, but he felt it was a disservice to the rural people the program was intended to help. All of this is the opinion of one person, of course, and nobody's required to agree with his assessment. He's also talking about proposed changes, and we don't know what the final decisions will be. -Adam ________________________________ From: AF on behalf of Cameron Crum Sent: Thursday, March 20, 2025 3:22 PM To: AnimalFarm Microwave Users Group Subject: Re: [AFMUG] BEAD Starlink already claims almost every location in the fabric, so worst case this is a push and nobody gets money. You don't get money if the locations are serviceable. If anything this is a good thing for Wisps because it is status-quo... unless you really wanted govt money I guess. On Thu, Mar 20, 2025 at 2:15 PM Adam Moffett <dmmoff...@gmail.com<mailto:dmmoff...@gmail.com>> wrote: NY State subsidized satellite installs in their broadband program, but I’ll tell you most of the residents I spoke to considered it a cheap cop out. They could already get satellite if that was what they wanted. Covering the installation fee probably helps someone, but most people who could afford the monthly fee could have afforded the installation too. Get Outlook for iOS<https://aka.ms/o0ukef> ________________________________ From: AF <af-boun...@af.afmug.com<mailto:af-boun...@af.afmug.com>> on behalf of Darin Steffl <darin.ste...@mnwifi.com<mailto:darin.ste...@mnwifi.com>> Sent: Thursday, March 20, 2025 12:26:12 PM To: AnimalFarm Microwave Users Group <af@af.afmug.com<mailto:af@af.afmug.com>> Subject: Re: [AFMUG] BEAD I prefer this to be the last govt money spent on broadband. So get as much fiber built as possible for a reasonable cost per passing. And let FWA and starlink handle the rest. 100% of homes can be covered with this hybrid approach. Where fiber is affordable, build it. Otherwise use the more affordable options where fiber isn't feasible. None of this $10k to $200k per passing BS for fiber that likely never pays off. If someone truly lives that far off the grid, they shouldn't expect subsidized fiber builds when FWA or starlink will suffice. No one is stopping someone from building fiber to a high cost location but it shouldn't be subsidized. On Thu, Mar 20, 2025, 10:15 AM Bill Prince <part15...@gmail.com<mailto:part15...@gmail.com>> wrote: LOL bp <part15sbs{at}gmail{dot}com> On 3/19/2025 9:19 PM, Ken Hohhof wrote: I’m surprised BEAD hasn’t run into problems because the E stands for Equity and DEI is now banned. But if they eliminate the E, would it just be BAD? -- AF mailing list AF@af.afmug.com<mailto:AF@af.afmug.com> http://af.afmug.com/mailman/listinfo/af_af.afmug.com -- AF mailing list AF@af.afmug.com<mailto:AF@af.afmug.com> http://af.afmug.com/mailman/listinfo/af_af.afmug.com
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