Starlink secures federal broadband funds but Virginia puts majority of investment into fiber

[Redaktion]

Virginia has allocated $613 million in federal BEAD funding, directing about $171 million to All Points Broadband for fiber connections to nearly 20,000 locations and $7.7 million to satellite projects. Starlink will receive just under $3.3 million to serve 5,579 locations, while Amazon's Project Kuiper gets $4.4 million for about 7,000 sites.

https://www.notebookcheck.net/Starlink-secures-federal-broadband-funds-but-Virginia-puts-majority-of-investment-into-fiber.1083586.0.html

[Tomas]

If you think satellite Internet some kind of panacea and is better then a ground Internet you are living on another planet my friend. The upkeep alone crazy to keep these things floating above our head not to mention throttle you have to deal with with satelite Internet. This is a stupid idea prompted by stupid man. It has sam nishe applications but that is it it's not meant for general public. And it should not be in a hand of private investors. What next we are going to do privatize air you breath in?

[A]

If you think satellite Internet some kind of panacea and is better then a ground Internet you are living on another planet my friend. The upkeep alone crazy to keep these things floating above our head not to mention throttle you have to deal with with satelite Internet. This is a stupid idea prompted by stupid man. It has sam nishe applications but that is it it's not meant for general public. And it should not be in a hand of private investors. What next we are going to do privatize air you breath in?

Satellite internet is not better than landline, but it is much cheaper to deploy, especially for rural. The cost to deploy 1 satellite costs as much as hooking up 1 rural house. Yes, the satellite would last only about 5-7 years, but it also can service thousands of people. Not to mention even landline infrastructure needs upgrades where as for satellite, upgrade cost is part of the upkeep.

On top of that, due to how LEO satellites work, they go around the world which means by providing service to US, they also provide service to everyone on the way including 3rd world countries. Because there isn't much cost to service fly over areas since the satellite wouldn't be doing anything anyways, 1 dish can provide cheap internet for an entire village. (yes, people often forget the other billions of people of the world)

Then there is satellites also act as a backbone for satellite to internet. This allows cellphone and SOS services to work in areas that are outside cell phone service.

Of course it also allows internet on other places like ships and airplanes too.

These are all hardly niche applications and far from "stupid".