Space X is protesting a $ 613 million plan to expand Virginia’s high -speed Internet access, alleging that it deliberately denies the star link to a large piece of subsidy.
On Wednesday, the company blew up Virginia’s project as a “widespread waste of federal taxpayers” when the state selected the star link in only 5,579 out of the 133,000 locations manufactured for subsidized broadband installations.
In a letter containing a 7 -page joint with the media, the company told the state government, “In straight terms, Virginia has kept its heavy thumb more expensive, low -cost and technology more expensive than a neutral competition, slowly in favor of blood fiber prejudice.”
The letter added that “Virginia will have to immediately review its final proposal to properly consider the requests received in accordance with the program’s rules.”
(Photo for Slas Stan/Getty Images Alliance)
The conflict includes $ 42.5 billion for high -speed Internet in the underground areas called Broadband Equity (BAAD) program. In June, the Trump administration restored the program to go away from preferring fiber installations for “technology neutrality”, which opened the door for satellite internet services and fixed wireless to seek federal funds from each state’s Mala program.
But despite the change in policy, Virginia’s recently announced bead proposal relies mostly on fiber rather than satellite for state -influenced areas. Under the plan, the Star Link will get 2 3.2 million financing or cost each site $ 584, which can cost more expensive, but high -speed fiber installations can cost $ 6,000, 000 8,000 on each site.
The letter from Space X on Wednesday shows that the company wants to serve the domestic of every bead in virginia with a high -speed broadband for Virginia in Virginia, which is immediately available to Virginis. “
“Virginia has proposed to spend $ 3613 million for contact, which will be deployed at a time in the next four years, if sometimes, taxpayers will be spent ten times more than the required amount for contact in Virginia.”
(www.dhcd.virginia.gov)
In the letter, SpaceX claims Virginia’s Malala project “fails to observe the neutrality of technology”, and argues that the star link is faster and “in one tenth of the price”.
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The company added, “The final proposal makes it clear that Virginia began with the pre -defined results and then a paper of ‘analysis’ was hidden to achieve its preferred results illegally.
Virginia’s Mala program did not immediately respond to a request for comment. But according to state documents, Virginia used factors such as “speed, delays and scales” to contract ISPs for each bead location as well as “trees cover”. Because of this, Virginia can support more expensive fiber installations as they can provide Gigabit Internet speed and operate under heavy trees.
On the contrary, Star Link can offer more internet speed than 300 MBPS than 100 MBPS. Although every star link dish requires a sky view to receive broadband, SpaceX recently introduced a satellite internet an upgrade to help perform better under the trees.
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The letter from SpaceX is to urge the Department of Commerce to refuse the final proposal of Virginia from the National Telecommunications and Information Administration unless it is reviewed.
The Department of Commerce did not respond to the request to comment immediately. But before being awarded the fund, the agency will need to clear the proposal of Virginia.
(Brian West Over)
Although this dispute is in danger of holding on Virginia’s Mala program, SpaceX wrote in the company’s letter: “These efforts will not refrain from the most important contacts of Mala’s households, but providers like Space X will prefer the lowest -cost awards, to accelerate the program.
The Louisiana government sent the letter to Space X after receiving most fiber providers to the starlink with most of its beads. The company did not respond to a request to comment on whether it would also challenge Louisiana’s proposal.
Protests take place when critics of others have condemned the Department of Trade for the restoration of the Mala program so that funds can potentially be removed from fiber installations. The Benton Institute for Broadband and Society has also noted that under the review in the Mala program, SpaceX only needs to provide a free star link dish for eligible locations and keep the Internet capability. In addition, there is also a modified bead program Cancellation The state’s capacity to pricing for Internet projects is for low -income consumers.
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