I hope the discussion here, between people that install internet service, recognize the complexity of defining what is served/unserved. Now imagine you're in DC and can't spell ISP and have to define it...
On Fri, Mar 21, 2025 at 7:47 AM Adam Moffett <dmmoff...@gmail.com> wrote: > They gave satellite companies grant money to subsidize installation costs > in NY. Awarding census blocks to satellite companies was the justification > for the NY Broadband Office claiming to have brought broadband to 98% of > the state. They could mark those census blocks as having been awarded and > therefore color in 98% of the map. The underlying problem is of course > that if there’s no business case for serving an area, then it doesn’t > matter whether or not you have capital to build it. I think in NY’s case > they promised 98% coverage before understanding that, and this was their > way of getting through it and claiming a win. > > Obviously those folks are still unserved, so the same census blocks could > be eligible for another program later. > > Get Outlook for iOS <https://aka.ms/o0ukef> > ------------------------------ > *From:* AF <af-boun...@af.afmug.com> on behalf of Cameron Crum < > cc...@murcevilo.com> > *Sent:* Thursday, March 20, 2025 5:47:32 PM > *To:* AnimalFarm Microwave Users Group <af@af.afmug.com> > *Subject:* Re: [AFMUG] BEAD > > How could they be eligible if they are already claiming to service all > locations? This makes no sense. If there are no eligible locations, then > there will be no place to give money. > > > On Thu, Mar 20, 2025 at 4:29 PM Adam Moffett <dmmoff...@gmail.com> wrote: > > 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> 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> on behalf of Darin Steffl < > darin.ste...@mnwifi.com> > *Sent:* Thursday, March 20, 2025 12:26:12 PM > *To:* AnimalFarm Microwave Users Group <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> 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 > 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 >
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