[Starlink] No RDOF-Funds for Starlink

[warren ponder]

Good preso

WP

On Mon, Aug 22, 2022 at 12:47 PM Daniel AJ Sokolov via Starlink <
starlink at lists.bufferbloat.net> wrote:

> Hello,
>
> Starlink was posed to receive 900 million USD from the FCC's Rural
> Digital Opportunity Fund to bring broadband internet to unserviced areas
> of the United States - until it wasn't.
>
> Earlier this month, the FCC decided NOT to give Starlink any of the 900
> million dollars after all.
> https://docs.fcc.gov/public/attachments/DA-22-848A1.pdf
>
> "The Bureau has determined that, based on the totality of the long-form
> applications, the expansive service areas reflected in their winning
> bids, and their inadequate responses to the Bureau’s follow-up
> questions, LTD and Starlink are not reasonably capable of complying with
> the Commission’s requirements. The Commission has an obligation to
> protect our limited Universal Service Funds and to avoid extensive
> delays in providing needed service to rural areas, including by avoiding
> subsidizing risky proposals that promise faster speeds than they can
> deliver, and/or propose deployment plans that are not realistic or that
> are predicated on aggressive assumptions and predictions. We observe
> that Ookla data reported as of July 31, 2022 indicate that Starlink’s
> speeds have been declining from the last quarter of 2021 to the second
> quarter of 2022, including upload speeds that are falling well below 20
> Mbps. Accordingly, we deny LTD’s and Starlink’s long-form applications,
> and both are in default on all winning bids (...)"
>
> (For purposes of Starlink, you can ignore the parts about LTD Broadband.)
>
> Also note this 2021 study showing Starlink's impending capacity crunch:
>
> We forecast a capacity shortfall in 2028:
> - 56% of RDOF subscribers are congested in a forecasted
> low demand scenario
> - More locations will be impacted if RDOF usage is higher,
> or SpaceX launches fewer satellites by 2028
> . RDOF service could be significantly worse if Starlink
> capacity is allocated to non-RDOF use cases
>
>
> https://www.ntca.org/sites/default/files/documents/2021-02/FBA_LEO_RDOF_Assessment_Final_Report_20210208.pdf
>
>
> FYI
> Daniel
> _______________________________________________
> Starlink mailing list
> Starlink at lists.bufferbloat.net
> https://lists.bufferbloat.net/listinfo/starlink
>
-------------- next part --------------
An HTML attachment was scrubbed...
URL: <https://lists.bufferbloat.net/private/starlink/attachments/20220822/e37ab523/attachment.html>