Professor: BEAD in Danger of Becoming a Big Handout to SpaceX
Opening up BEAD to greater participation by low earth orbit (LEO) satellites under the auspices of being more technology-neutral "is really a billion-dollar handout" to SpaceX's Starlink, Penn State Pioneers Chair in Telecommunications Christopher Ali wrote Friday. "Subsidizing a technology…
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that offers only 'good enough' connectivity ... risks creating a new digital divide as parts of the country go to satellite while others move to fiber optics," he added. Starlink is "a viable option for some," particularly for certain rural residents. But it shouldn't receive federal funding when its speeds don't meet minimum standards, it has high upfront costs, and it largely operates as a monopoly in the LEO market, Ali wrote.