[Starlink] No RDOF-Funds for Starlink

[Starlink] No RDOF-Funds for Starlink

[Daniel AJ Sokolov]

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

Re: [Starlink] No RDOF-Funds for Starlink

[warren ponder]

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Good preso

WP

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

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Re: [Starlink] No RDOF-Funds for Starlink

[David Lang]

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I thought I had read that they were upset over the $500 up front cost of 
starlink more than anything else.

David Lang

On Mon, 22 Aug 2022, Daniel AJ Sokolov via Starlink wrote:

> Date: Mon, 22 Aug 2022 12:47:33 -0700
> From: Daniel AJ Sokolov via Starlink <starlink@lists.bufferbloat.net>
> Reply-To: Daniel AJ Sokolov <daniel@falco.ca>
> To: Benjamin Henrion via Starlink <starlink@lists.bufferbloat.net>
> Subject: [Starlink] No RDOF-Funds for Starlink
> 
> 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@lists.bufferbloat.net
> https://lists.bufferbloat.net/listinfo/starlink
>

Re: [Starlink] No RDOF-Funds for Starlink

[warren ponder]

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The FCC public announcement doc has more detail than the FCC press release.

It details the upfront cost as you recall as a factor. It also highlights
that SpaceX simply would not respond to questions for clarification
regarding details of the required long for regarding performance details,
design details and how they would address their concerns ( Likely some came
from this study)

Performance was also raised as was the concern of it being emerging
technology.

WP

On Mon, Aug 22, 2022, 1:28 PM David Lang via Starlink <
starlink@lists.bufferbloat.net> wrote:

> I thought I had read that they were upset over the $500 up front cost of
> starlink more than anything else.
>
> David Lang
>
> On Mon, 22 Aug 2022, Daniel AJ Sokolov via Starlink wrote:
>
> > Date: Mon, 22 Aug 2022 12:47:33 -0700
> > From: Daniel AJ Sokolov via Starlink <starlink@lists.bufferbloat.net>
> > Reply-To: Daniel AJ Sokolov <daniel@falco.ca>
> > To: Benjamin Henrion via Starlink <starlink@lists.bufferbloat.net>
> > Subject: [Starlink] No RDOF-Funds for Starlink
> >
> > 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@lists.bufferbloat.net
> > https://lists.bufferbloat.net/listinfo/starlink
> >_______________________________________________
> Starlink mailing list
> Starlink@lists.bufferbloat.net
> https://lists.bufferbloat.net/listinfo/starlink
>

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Re: [Starlink] No RDOF-Funds for Starlink

[Daniel AJ Sokolov]

On 2022-08-22 at 13:28, David Lang wrote:
> I thought I had read that they were upset over the $500 up front cost of 
> starlink more than anything else.

That was a political comment by the FCC-Chairwoman, but is not part of 
the FCC Public Notice.

Legally, other shortcomings are better arguments to deny the funding. 
And nobody would be surprised if SpaceX went to court over this.

BR
Daniel AJ