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High-speed broadband internet service has transitioned from a luxury good to an increasingly necessary utility. Rural regions are particularly susceptible to poor broadband infrastructure coverage, however, because they pose a costly business case for providers. The economic case for rural broadband infrastructure, though, is compelling despite its cost: Broadband access and adoption in rural areas is linked to increased job and population growth, higher rates of new business formation and home values, and lower unemployment rates. Unlike with many other types of infrastructure, the long-run benefits of broadband access could grow exponentially, given the potential for innovation and productivity gains it provides.
SpaceX created a swarm of about thousand satellites that is circulating about 340 miles overhead, and building the constellation has put SpaceX in a "deep
West Virginia Lawmaker Calls for State Broadband Regulation
With West Virginia set to receive $362 million in federal funds for rural broadband expansion, Del. Mick Bates of Raleigh County is pushing for the state to begin regulating Internet service. by Jessica Farrish, The Register-Herald / February 8, 2021 Shutterstock/Sean Pavone
(TNS) With West Virginia set to receive $362 million in federal funds for rural broadband expansion, Del.
Mick Bates
of
Bates said Friday that
West Virginia, is operating as an unregulated monopoly. He wants the
State Public Service Commission, which regulates utility companies, to oversee internet companies like
Suddenlink. It s essential, said Bates. It s essential for schooling. It s essential for business. It s essential for health care.
And what might Amazon s LEO satellites mean for 5G operators? I think there are partnerships to be had for Kuiper, said Darren Achord, head of public policy for Amazon s Project Kuiper. We look forward to partnering with a lot of the providers out there.
Achord s pitch for Project Kuiper (pronounced ky-per ) was mainly targeted at members of the incoming Biden administration. Achord spoke about the company s satellite broadband initiative at the Incompas Policy Summit this week, a trade association that represents communications and technology companies, including Amazon.
Achord explained that Amazon filed its LEO plans with the Trump administration in July 2019, and received approval for a 3,236 constellation of LEO satellites a year later. Now, the company will need to navigate the Biden administration including Biden s choice of Jessica Rosenworcel as acting head of the FCC to move forward with its plans.
(Feb 5): The U.S. Federal Communications Commission faces pressure from rural internet service providers to deny a planned US$886 million subsidy to Elon Musk’s SpaceX for beaming broadband to underserved areas from outer space.
Even before winning a competition for the funds, SpaceX had set up its service and begun launching satellites. More than 1,000 of the Starlink craft are now aloft, providing service to test subscribers. The company says its system “is uniquely positioned to deliver high-quality broadband service to the hardest-to-reach rural Americans.”
But that hasn’t stopped complaints about it winning a competition for subsidies from the FCC’s Rural Digital Opportunity Fund, in part because the service was being built without the aid and isn’t limited to rural areas. The planned awards to Space Exploration Technologies Corp., as it’s formally known, and to other companies have lawmakers raising questions about the entire US$9.2 billion program.