Residents in rural America are eager to access high-speed internet under a $42.5 billion federal modernization program, but not a single home or business has been connected to new broadband networks nearly three years after President Biden signed the funding into law, and no project will break ground until sometime next year.
Lawmakers and internet companies blame the slow rollout on burdensome requirements for obtaining the funds, including climate change mandates, preferences for hiring union workers and the requirement that eligible companies prioritize the employment of “justice-impacted” people with criminal records to install broadband equipment.
Biden’s $42.5 billion rural high-speed internet plan gets stuck in red tape – Washington Times
A Starlink terminal costs $499 or as low as $300 in 28 states. At an average price of $400, the government could have bought about 106 million Starlink terminals – nearly as many occupied homes as in the entire country.
Or the government could have bought perhaps 20 million terminals and had billions left over for subsidized access pricing.
Sounds like a government program. Similar to Biden’s EV charging network, funded 3 years ago with billions of dollars – but as of mid 2024, has built just 7 EV charging stations.
