[Starlink] No RDOF-Funds for Starlink

[Daniel AJ Sokolov <daniel@falco.ca>]

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