Some States Likely to Use Satellite Connectivity in BEAD Proposals

Fiber is the best option for providing future-proof access, "but there are some times when fiber won't work," said Wyoming Business Council Broadband Director Elaina Zempel. Posing a particular challenge for fiber deployments are the state's ultra high-cost areas such as sparsely populated regions where elevation, harsh winters and topography make other technologies like fixed wireless seemingly impractical, she said. Also a challenge for fiber deployment are parts of the state stranded in federal land, such as in Yellowstone National Park, she said. Satellite will almost surely be used in the state's initial proposal to help reach those ultra high-cost locations, she said. She said some other states with similar concerns of elevation, topography and remoteness will likely do similar. Multiple western states didn't comment.

"I fully expect that there will be a broad range of technologies used and implemented" under BEAD, NTIA Administrator Alan Davidson told House Communications Subcommittee members in May (see 2305230067). "Our expectation is that the only way we are going to make sure everybody is connected is if there is a broad range of technologies used -- fiber, fixed wireless, satellite technologies." He said the NTIA notice "allows states to make their choice [as to] what that mix will look like. Some states perhaps will have a heavy preference for fiber. Other states will choose to use much more of a mix."

OneWeb emailed it was "happy to see NTIA’s comments because we believe and agree it will take many technologies, working together, to ultimately bridge the digital divide across states. We are looking at BEAD and seeing if there is a role for our network to play a role, but it’s too soon to say what the final outcomes will be." It said it "absolutely would encourage" individual states to look at all means of connectivity, including satellite. "Our low Earth orbit network can reach people in remote and rural areas today -- which matters because we want to see people connected quickly, economically and without disrupting the environment and regardless of population density," OneWeb said. "Our model is to partner with telecommunications companies and internet service providers so we hope to see satellite as part of their overall strategy to bridge the divide in states across the country, bringing both fiber and satellite together to offer connectivity everywhere."

Satellite is not on every state's initial proposal drawing board. "I can tell you that at this time use of satellite broadband service is not under consideration for Oklahoma’s initial proposal," emailed an Oklahoma Broadband Office spokesperson.

Some states see satellite as an option that's not allowed under BEAD. NTIA guidance seems to say it's not eligible for funding due to performance issues, said Rebecca Dilg, Utah Broadband Center director. She said fiber is Utah's priority, but it's not suitable for some areas due to terrain and remoteness, so it won't be the sole technology the state uses. "It's not an endless pool of money," she said. NTIA didn't comment

A Texas Comptroller of Public Accounts spokesperson emailed that the state's Broadband Development Office "is still in the process of developing its initial planning documents, including the five-year action plan and the initial proposal, which will lay out the office’s approach to a subgrantee selection process that allows for selecting applicants proposing an alternative technology meeting the BEAD Program’s technical requirements."

Wyoming's Zempel said the state's broadband map and data gathered for Treasury's Capital Projects Fund are helping lay out the state's unserved areas. Figuring out where satellite might play a role will come when providers lay out what areas they can reach with fiber networks, with the state then having its list of areas that attracted no bidding interest.