Federal money to SpaceX may hurt public broadband efforts in Washington state
March 9, 2021 at 12:41 pm
SpaceX’s Starlink antenna connects with a network of satellites to provide high-speed internet access. (SpaceX Starlink Photo)
You might think Russ Elliott would be pleased about private companies winning $223 million in federal subsidies to expand broadband in rural Washington state. Instead, Elliott the director of the state’s broadband office is frustrated.
He’s under direction from Washington’s Legislature to bring the entire state up to superfast internet speeds by 2028. Yet in December, the federal government announced plans to award hundreds of millions of dollars to companies Elliott is afraid won’t meet the state’s standards.