FCC rejects Starlink’s bid for rural internet subsidies due to its $600 satellite dish
by Emma Roth from The Verge - All Posts on (#62CFA)
Photo by Nilay Patel / The Verge The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) has rejected Starlink's application for $885 million in federal subsidies that it would use to provide satellite internet to broadband customers in rural areas. The FCC cites the SpaceX-owned company's $600 dish and states that Starlink failed to demonstrate" that it could deliver the promised service."
The funding is part of the broader $9.2 billion Rural Digital Opportunity Fund that provides an incentive for telecom companies to extend internet service to rural and underserved locations. In 2020, Starlink won an initial $885.5 million subsidy as part of a Phase 1 rollout of the program. The FCC also rejected LTD Broadband's bid for the funding after it initially received $1.3 billion in...