Starlink operator SpaceX is fighting Virginia’s plan to deploy fiber Internet service to residents, claiming that federal grant money should be given to Starlink instead. SpaceX is already in line to win over $3 million in grant money in the state but is seeking $60 million.

Starlink is poised to benefit from the Trump administration rewriting rules for the $42 billion Broadband Equity, Access, and Deployment (BEAD) grant program. While the Biden administration decided that states should prioritize fiber in order to build more future-proof networks, the Trump administration ordered states to revise their plans with a “tech-neutral approach” and lower the average cost of serving each location.

  • _druid@sh.itjust.works
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    10 hours ago

    I will string together old coathangers and twisted, unheated solder before I use starlink.

    • jubilationtcornpone@sh.itjust.works
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      2 hours ago

      Recently talked my MIL into switching to T-Mobile home Internet instead of StarLink. I even volunteered to mount an external cell antenna on her roof if the signal wasn’t good enough.

      Elmo and his shitty satellite company can kiss my ass.

        • jubilationtcornpone@sh.itjust.works
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          38 minutes ago

          They do offer their T-Satellite service which uses Starlink. It only works with supported mobile devices (not home Internet) and is additional to your regular plan.

          T-Mobile is honestly one of the easiest cell operators to deal with in my experience. I would take them over AT&T any day.

    • bryndos@fedia.io
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      6 hours ago

      If you figure out the right protocol you could probably catapult a series of twisted pears from house to house.

      The way the internet is going, bashed and bruised fruit salad sounds preferable to the actual data anyway.

      • Passerby6497@lemmy.world
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        1 hour ago

        Hey, we just need someone to innovate the shielded twisted pears, that will give us a much better fruit salad than the unshielded twisted pears.

      • MasterBlaster@lemmy.world
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        2 hours ago

        The visuals are priceless. Screaming, agonized pears flying from building to building with California raisins singing in flight amongst them. I think i just found a reason to play with AI video generation!