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United States Communications The Internet

$930 Million in Grants Announced in Biden's Effort To Expand Internet Access (apnews.com) 58

Posted by msmash from the moving-forward dept.
The massive federal effort to expand internet access to every home in the U.S. took a major step forward on Friday with the announcement of $930 million in grants to shore up connections in remote parts of Alaska, rural Texas and dozens of other places where significant gaps in connectivity persist. From a report: The so-called middle mile grants, announced by the Department of Commerce, are meant to create large-scale networks that will enable retail broadband providers to link subscribers to the internet. Department officials likened the role of the middle mile -- the midsection of the infrastructure necessary to enable internet access, composed of high-capacity fiber lines carrying huge amounts of data at very high speeds -- to how the interstate highway system forged connections between communities. "These networks are the workhorses carrying large amounts of data over very long distances," said Mitch Landrieu, the White House's infrastructure coordinator, in a media Zoom call. "They're the ones that are bridging the gap between the larger networks and the last mile connections, from tribal lands to underserved rural and remote areas to essential institutions like hospitals, schools, libraries and major businesses."
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$930 Million in Grants Announced in Biden's Effort To Expand Internet Access More

$930 Million in Grants Announced in Biden's Effort To Expand Internet Access

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  • We gave the ISPs tens of billions already (Score:3)

    by xack ( 5304745 ) on Friday June 16, 2023 @12:19PM (#63608036)
    Another 930 million isn't going to make a difference. Even in Europe there are major cities still without fibre and they have a more competitive market.

    • The last time this was tried under Obama, nothing happened except the money disappeared with no better internet in remote areas. I live in an area that has the worst internet in the county and nothing has happened here. Fortunately, after a 14 month wait, I was able to get Starlink but it costs $120/month.

  • So, more money for companies that will accept the money, apply it to bonuses, or stock buy-backs, then not deliver anything close to what's promised, with zero consequences. In fact, they'll still be eligible for the next round of this! Source: History Apparently, this is what progress looks like in this entirely fucked up timeline.

    • Re:This again. :| (Score:4, Insightful)

      by spacepimp ( 664856 ) on Friday June 16, 2023 @12:34PM (#63608092)

      They'll push out some fiber in pofitable areas and then sue when the Governement tries to get them to fill their actual contractual agreements.

      • That depends (Score:2, Flamebait)

        by rsilvergun ( 571051 )
        Are you going to vote Republican or for pro-corporate Dems? Are you going to google the names of the Democrats in your local primary election and read up a bit before voting so you know which is which (the GOP is a lost cause at this point)?

        This keeps happening. Dems do something good, voters decide "it's time for a change" despite every indication otherwise [wikipedia.org], Republicans sabotage the programs, and everybody throws up their hands and says "well! I guess Gov't just doesn't work!".

        If you put the Fox in

        • This has zero to do with a particular political party and everything to do with the fact that we've already paid for this Internet roll out multiple times already. No one in government seems to want to hold these corporations accountable.

  • Why not pay for Starlink for un-connected? (Score:3, Insightful)

    by SuperKendall ( 25149 ) on Friday June 16, 2023 @12:22PM (#63608050)

    At this point, for less than $930 million, it seems like you could simply buy StarLink service for anyone modern internet lines cannot reach.

    Yeah not as fast as fiber-optic... or is it, because even if you have fiber running to someone's house, does not mean the infrastructure will exist at the other end of that fiber to provide high speeds.

    I do think there is value in trying to have a highly wired society, I just think the government always finds the worst way to go about anything, and probably will not even accomplish the goal.

    • Re:Why not pay for Starlink for un-connected? (Score:5, Interesting)

      by ThurstonMoore ( 605470 ) on Friday June 16, 2023 @01:04PM (#63608210)

      I have had Starlink for about a little less than a year. In that time they added data caps then removed them a few months later and the price has increased twice and is currently $120/mo. I pray Darth Elon doesn't decide to alter the deal any further.

      • we're in the same boat, currently in line to get fiber installed but that's apparently a few months out (despite our neighbors getting theirs up and running, and we have a shared vault!)

        the Starlink price hikes were inevitable though; considering the extreme disparity in price/performance between Starlink and other options (namely ViaSat, or cellular) as the vile business goons say
        >money left on the table

        give it a while longer, starlink will cap out at $155 a month.

      • I have had Starlink for about a little less than a year. In that time they added data caps then removed them a few months later and the price has increased twice and is currently $120/mo

        Yes my mother uses Starlink currently so I know all about it. But who cares? The government is paying so it could be $3k/month.

        As for the cap, again is this really going to be worse than whatever is actually provided by the cable the government is forcing companies to install. The Starlink cap is reasonably high. And aga

        • Your mom might be sucking on the government teet but I have to pay for my Starlink.

          • Your mom might be sucking on the government teet but I have to pay for my Starlink.

            I am paying for my mom's Starlink.

            I am just saying that everyone else with no other way to get Internet, teh government is ALREADY spending $930 million, why not pay soem massive Starlink bill paying twice what normal customers pay or whatever.

    • Once you run the conduit and line(s) to the neighborhood/curb/house, it is there to provide LOTS of uses. That has tremendous value

    • I am a software developer that works remotely for an aerospace company. I live in a southern state, out in the country. I fall into the rare category of neither having access to fiber optic internet, nor being in a Starlink coverage area. I am also nestled in the hills, with very spotty cell service. This rules out AT&T and other companies that offer cellular-based internet service. So I am stuck using the old, twisted-pair DSL connection offered by the local telephone company. And I actually pay for tw

      • Re: (Score:2)

        by kackle ( 910159 )
        We do cellular integrations for our municipal customers. You might want to look into a high-gain, directional, cellular antenna on a roof-tripod or small tower, perhaps even with a coax-cable amplifier. "Spotty" can turn into "reliable".

  • Why Texas? (Score:2, Interesting)

    by smooth wombat ( 796938 )

    Isn't Texas that state which talks about getting rid of welfare queens? That people should pull themselves up by their own bootstraps. Where big, intrusive government is shunned (except when it comes to meddling in woman's lives).

    Shouldn't Texas be doing its own work to get connectivity to its people? Maybe they could do a deal with private industry to get things wired rather than taking more money from the rest of the U.S. to foot the bill.

    • Re: (Score:2)

      by irving47 ( 73147 )

      If private industry thought they could do it profitably, it would have been done by now. They do kinda have.. literally.. a vested interest in doing things for money, you know. It's the government willing to subsidize and not get anything back. And we all know how well that's worked before, on "last-mile" projects.

    • They probably found that this might help them recruit Democratic voters in those parts of Texas.

    • Shouldn't Texas be doing its own work to get connectivity to its people? Maybe they could do a deal with private industry to get things wired rather than taking more money from the rest of the U.S. to foot the bill.

      Good advice for the whole country.

    • Isn't Texas that state which talks about getting rid of welfare queens? That people should pull themselves up by their own bootstraps. Where big, intrusive government is shunned (except when it comes to meddling in woman's lives).

      Shouldn't Texas be doing its own work to get connectivity to its people? Maybe they could do a deal with private industry to get things wired rather than taking more money from the rest of the U.S. to foot the bill.

      Perhaps this is at the behest of all the Californians that have

  • So what was the Biden Admin deficit so far in 2023? Answer 1.16 Trillion dollars.

  • Doesn't solve the problem (Score:3)

    by MpVpRb ( 1423381 ) on Friday June 16, 2023 @01:55PM (#63608378)

    In our area, local ISPs have been trying for years to install fiber
    The telecom monopolies fought them, even though the monopolies DON'T serve our area
    They seem to have the attitude, we won't provide service and we want to make sure nobody else does
    We need to change the law that gives the telecom monopolies power

    • We can partly blame 40 years of conservative ideological messaging for that.

      The real answer is last mile internet access is a natural monopoly public utility just like power, water and sewage. Let or even require municipalities to maintain control over those assets. If the town wants to contract maintenance out and whoever provides the outbound peering, great.

      A towns water and sewage supply is a much more complicated affair than internet lines and public services do it fine everyday. The idea that interne

  • Is there a link to the actual bill or grant information? As much as I appreciated the reporting done by AP, I want to take a look at the language of the grants itself.

  • Let him build out Starlink to the under-served areas. At least he gets things done. These telcos just suck up taxpayer money and don't deliver a damn thing.

  • BCI (Brain to Computer Interfaces) is going to turn all humans into just another IOT (Internet Of Things). They will monitor your brain activity not only that but will control the activity. Many Targeted Individuals are complaining about mind control and directed energy weapons. Millions around the world are being Tortured, Tormented, and, Killed with top secret weapons. Visit www.minds.com/group/1297203399997001743/feed

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