The FCC decided it wouldn’t be the “best” use of limited funds.

Starlink loses out on $886 million in rural broadband subsidies::The FCC reaffirmed a decision not to award Starlink a nearly $900 million subsidy for offering 100Mbps/20Mbps low-latency internet service in 35 states.

  • spudwart@spudwart.comEnglish
    4112·
    11 months ago

    Reminder that Starlink is the internet equivalent to the Hyperloop.

    There are untold billions that the government gave out as subsidies to increase internet speeds across the nation and bring internet to everyone across the U.S. Which mysteriously vanished.

    All the while now Elon has been promising vaporware and bullshit, as he usually does while Tech Bros, billionaires and the media gobble it up.

    • jonne@infosec.pubEnglish
      31·
      11 months ago

      Eh, starlink at least works by all accounts. I guess the jury is still out if it’s sustainable as a business because the satellites are deorbiting like crazy.

      • echo64@lemmy.worldEnglish
        304·
        11 months ago

        If your business plan involves firing out infinite rockets full of cell towers forever. You should probably just spend the money on copper instead.

        • Ilovethebomb@lemm.eeEnglish
          215·
          11 months ago

          I don’t think you quite understand just how remote some people are. Besides, Starlink is also being used on vessels and aircraft, good luck getting copper out to them.

          Also, fibre optic is how the cool people Internet these days.

        • GBU_28@lemm.eeEnglish
          81·
          11 months ago

          This makes zero sense. If that was profitable it would have been done already.

          • echo64@lemmy.worldEnglish
            65·
            11 months ago

            It’s not, neither is starlink. That’s the whole point. You have two things, you can either launch infinite rockets forever or lay some infrastructure that we can benefit from forever.

            Why America chooses not to lay infrastructure is beyond me. More so why Americans justify it so often. This shit is why America doesn’t have trains.

            • crazyCat@sh.itjust.worksEnglish
              31·
              11 months ago

              Preach the truth brother. The single most effective way to spread more internet is more cable and towers.

            • LilB0kChoy@midwest.socialEnglish
              2·
              11 months ago

              Bundle it all together! We have tons of electrical that should be moved underground. Throw internet lines into that pool too and put it all under the ground and run the network cables everywhere the power goes.

            • Ilovethebomb@lemm.eeEnglish
              54·
              11 months ago

              The fact that you’re talk about laying copper for Internet access shows just how little you know.

              • echo64@lemmy.worldEnglish
                64·
                11 months ago

                I use it because it makes people mad and I think that’s funny, obviously fibre is better. Good for digestion

                Also yes copper is still more cost efficient than infinite rockets with infinite cell towers forever

      • spudwart@spudwart.comEnglish
        7·
        11 months ago

        They aren’t sustainable because they are de-orbiting but they’re also supposed to be low-cost and high speed.

        If the prices aren’t low-cost, and the speeds continue to decrease, it’s entire purpose is defeated.

    • GBU_28@lemm.eeEnglish
      10·
      11 months ago

      Starlink, as a service for those that have it, is not Vaporware. It functions, pretty well.

      Starlink as a government subsidized, nationally impactful program is Vaporware

    • Cowbee@lemm.eeEnglish
      5·
      11 months ago

      Hyperloop should be halted and replaced with high speed rail, and starlink should be nationalized. Musk keeps rinsing and repeating his grand privatized infrastructure projects where he essentially embezzles public funds.