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Science

SpaceX Starlink passes 10,000 users and fights opposition to FCC funding

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Enlarge / A SpaceX Starlink user terminal/satellite dish.

Lobby groups for small ISPs are urging the Federal Communications Commission to investigate whether SpaceX can deliver on its broadband promises and to consider blocking the satellite provider’s rural-broadband funding. Meanwhile, SpaceX says the Starlink beta is now serving high-speed broadband to 10,000 users.

SpaceX was one of the biggest winners in the FCC’s Rural Digital Opportunity Fund (RDOF), winning $885.51 million over 10 years to bring Starlink broadband to 642,925 homes and businesses in 35 states. Overall, the reverse auction awarded $9.2 billion ($920 million per year) in funding for 180 entities nationwide to expand networks to 5.2 million homes and businesses that currently don’t have access to modern broadband speeds.

But funding winners still had to submit “long-form applications” by January 29 to provide “additional information about qualifications, funding, and the network that they intend to use to meet their obligations.” The FCC will review those applications to determine whether any funding should be revoked.

Electric co-ops that provide broadband raised concerns about both SpaceX’s low Earth orbit (LEO) satellite technology and fixed-wireless services that deliver Internet access from towers on the ground to antennas on customers’ homes. The National Rural Electric Cooperative Association (NRECA) and National Rural Telecommunications Cooperative (NRTC) submitted a white paper to the FCC claiming that the RDOF awards put “rural America’s broadband hopes at risk.”

Starlink dismissed as “science experiment”

The CEO of NRECA was blunt in his opposition to SpaceX’s funding, as stated in a Bloomberg article today:

SpaceX’s broadband-from-orbit “is a completely unproven technology,” said Jim Matheson, chief executive officer of the National Rural Electric Cooperative Association, which has members that vied for the funding. “Why use that money for a science experiment?”

Electric co-ops that offer broadband won a combined $1.6 billion from the FCC auction to serve 900,000 locations in 31 states, according to the NRECA. That included 180 co-ops that “competed as part of five consortiums that garnered a total of about $1.5 billion” and “five individual electric co-ops [that] won a total of $59.4 million.”

All of those electric co-ops bid in the FCC’s gigabit tier, a search of the FCC system shows. NRECA said that “many” of the electric co-ops are using fiber technology to deliver those speeds and that they pushed for high standards in the FCC auction “to ensure co-ops with superior service could compete against other types of Internet providers with slower or spotty service in rural areas.”

Matheson told the FCC in a filing that many of the LEO satellite and fixed-wireless awards went to census blocks that “are in electric cooperative service territory.”

SpaceX has good early results and 10,000 users

SpaceX committed to provide service in the FCC’s “Above Baseline” tier, which requires 100Mbps download speeds, 20Mbps upload speeds, and a data cap of at least 2TB a month. Based on early reports from SpaceX Starlink beta testers, it appears that the service can provide broadband with high speeds and latency better than the FCC’s 100ms standard. SpaceX is continuing to launch satellites and has told beta testers to expect steady improvements in speed, latency, and uptime in the coming months. Before bidding for the funding, SpaceX first had to overcome the FCC’s “serious doubts” about whether it can deliver the required latencies.

“Starlink’s performance is not theoretical or experimental,” SpaceX said in an unrelated FCC filing yesterday. “Over 10,000 users in the United States and abroad are using the service today. While its performance is rapidly accelerating in real time as part of its public beta program, the Starlink network has already successfully demonstrated it can surpass the Commission’s ‘Above Baseline’ and ‘Low Latency’ performance tiers.”

Starlink already provides 100Mbps download and 20Mbps upload speeds and is delivering latencies at or below 31ms on 95 percent “of network round-trip latency measurements,” the company said.

Starlink’s beta status raises questions

But groups that oppose SpaceX’s FCC funding said the technology hasn’t been proven because it isn’t widely available. “Any applications that appear unlikely to deliver promised speeds to all locations should be disqualified per FCC rules,” the NRECA/NRTC white paper said.

LEO-satellite service “is currently in beta testing and commercially available on a limited basis in extremely limited areas, and questions remain. At the current time, LEO-based broadband lacks the ‘demonstrated capabilities to perform at certain speed and latency combinations’ the Commission reasonably requires,” the groups wrote. “Awarding bids to experimental and unproven LEO satellite service is a direct contradiction” of FCC requirements, they also said. (SpaceX was the only LEO-satellite company to win funding.)

The white paper questioned whether LEO satellites can “consistently provide a high level of speed as thousands of subscribers sign up for the service.” Suggesting that the funding isn’t even needed by SpaceX, they also said that “satellite providers eventually plan to deliver service to areas regardless of whether they get subsidized to do it.”

We contacted SpaceX today about the groups’ filing and will update this article if we get a response.

Fixed-wireless challenges

As for fixed wireless, the groups argued that providing gigabit speeds is possible but only under the right conditions. NRTC said its experience working with rural utilities “shows that the conditions for this speed are largely unable to be met in rural America for a number of reasons.”

Fixed-wireless challenges “include the need for substantial spectral bandwidth at lower frequencies for propagation, availability of vertical assets for higher frequency spectrum, near or absolute line of sight from transmitter to antenna, and a substantial deployment of fiber optic cabling for backhaul purposes,” they said. “Many of the areas where support was assigned to fixed wireless bidders to provide Gigabit service would either fail to meet these conditions or be prohibitively expensive to achieve.”

The FCC rural-broadband funding is paid for by Americans through fees imposed on phone bills.

New FCC chair had doubts about auction

The ISP lobby groups aren’t the only ones raising concerns about SpaceX funding. Consumer-advocacy group Free Press researched the auction results and found that SpaceX won funding in surprising places such as “the Jersey City Target store”; census blocks “with luxury hotels” in Chicago; “empty parking lots, grassy fields and highway medians” near Washington, DC; a “parking garage in downtown Miami Beach, two blocks from the beach, surrounded on all sides by multiple companies offering gigabit service”; and a street in San Francisco “that borders the southern edge of Golden Gate Park.” SpaceX “appears to have played by the rules. But the FCC’s rules created a broken system,” the group said.

It’s not clear whether the FCC is likely to reverse any or all of the funding awarded to SpaceX or other companies. But FCC Acting Chairwoman Jessica Rosenworcel criticized then-Chairman Ajit Pai for completing the auction without waiting for the FCC to collect more accurate broadband data.

“We need maps before money and data before deployment,” Rosenworcel said in January 2020, when the decision was made. “With today’s decision we commit the vast majority of universal service funds—$16 billion!—for the next ten years without first doing anything to improve our maps, survey service accurately, or fix the data disaster we have about the state of service today. That means if your home is marked as served by the FCC’s maps today and it is not, then for the next decade you are on your own.” (The FCC ended up awarding $9.2 billion in the fund’s first phase instead of the maximum $16 billion. There may be $11.2 billion available in the as-yet-unplanned second phase.)

Given Rosenworcel’s view, it wouldn’t be surprising if the RDOF’s first phase undergoes some changes, whether that’s to SpaceX’s funding or someone else’s. The FCC recently heard from Sen. Shelley Moore Capito (R-WV), who objected to funding awarded to Frontier Communications given that company’s past failures to meet broadband-deployment requirements. And just before Pai left office in January, a bipartisan group of 157 members of Congress sent a letter urging the FCC to make sure that every funded ISP “has the technical, financial, managerial, operational skills, capabilities, and resources to deliver the services that they have pledged for every American they plan to serve regardless of the technology they use.”

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World

Britain Passes a Grim Milestone of 100,000 Coronavirus Deaths

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LONDON — Britain on Tuesday surpassed 100,000 deaths from the coronavirus, a tragic milestone that laid bare the missteps in Prime Minister Boris Johnson’s handling of the pandemic, as well as the tough choices he now faces in trying to keep lethal new variants of the virus out of the country.

Britain’s death toll has long been the worst in Europe, but a fast-spreading variant of the virus has propelled the country’s daily fatality rates to levels not seen since the peak of the pandemic’s first wave in April, despite a national lockdown. Per capita, Britain’s death rate has been the worst in the world over the last week.

“It’s hard to compute the sorrow contained in that grim statistic,” a solemn Mr. Johnson said of the death toll, which hit 100,162. “You’d exhaust the thesaurus of misery. It’s an appalling and tragic loss of life.”

Mr. Johnson had been expected to discuss a mandatory hotel quarantine for travelers arriving in Britain from countries with dangerous outbreaks of the virus. But the details of that plan were not yet settled, attesting to both its far-reaching economic implications and the logistical challenge of housing, feeding, and monitoring thousands of passengers landing at British airports.

Tighter travel restrictions would aim to keep new variants from Brazil and South Africa out of Britain. Among the proposals under consideration is one that would require travelers from South Africa, South America and Portugal to quarantine in hotels for 10 days after arrival.

That would push Britain in the direction of Australia, which has used hotel quarantines in a mostly successful effort to keep the virus outside its borders. But Britain would be acting months later than Australia and after the spread of its homegrown variant has already swamped hospitals.

Speaking to reporters at Downing Street, Mr. Johnson declined to dwell on the mistakes that, in his government’s handling of the crisis, worsened the death toll. As several reporters reminded him, the government once said that keeping the death toll to 20,000 would count as a success.

“I am deeply sorry for every life that has been lost,” Mr. Johnson said, adding that he accepted responsibility. “We truly did everything we could, and continue to do everything we can, to minimize loss of life.”

Mr. Johnson’s chief medical adviser, Chris Whitty, was more reflective, acknowledging that some issues could have been better handled. In the early days of the pandemic, he said, experts did not properly appreciate the importance of face masks, nor did they understand sufficiently the significance of asymptomatic transmission. As the crisis has ground on, Mr. Whitty said, the medical profession has developed new and improved ways of treating Covid patients.

For Mr. Johnson, the pandemic has become a grim race between vaccinating the population and holding off new variants, which could fuel another surge in infections. On the vaccine front, Britain continues to make major strides, injecting 6.8 million people, the fastest pace of any large country.

But in other respects, the government still appears late and disorganized. On the travel plan, some health experts argue that anything short of a blanket hotel quarantine would not be effective. But critics say the government would not be able to handle the logistical challenge, as arriving passengers would quickly fill up the hotels around London’s Heathrow Airport, the country’s main gateway.

Britain’s plans come as the United States has moved to tighten restrictions on overseas visitors. President Biden rescinded an order by former President Donald J. Trump that would have relaxed travel bans on non-Americans from Britain, Brazil, South Africa, and much of the European Union.

The new U.S. rules, which took effect Tuesday, led to confusion at Heathrow Airport as British Airways turned away U.S.-bound passengers. That included even some who met the updated guidelines set by the Centers for Disease Control, which stipulate that they either had to produce a negative coronavirus test or a doctor’s letter confirming that they had recovered from Covid and were no longer infectious.

For the travel industry, the quarantine would be the latest in a succession of blows that has cost tens of thousands of jobs and driven some companies, like the cross-Channel train operator Eurostar, to the financial brink.

“It will be another nail in the coffin of the travel industry,” said Steven Freudmann, the chairman of the Institute of Travel and Tourism, which lobbies for the sector. “The industry understands the motives and we put the health of the nation first, but what is so frustrating is that the rules are changing literally week by week.”

In Britain, “closing the doors appears to us to be happening 12 months too late,” Mr. Freudmann said, adding that the move would further erode confidence at a time when the sector was starting to plan for recovery.

Even those traveling to and from countries not deemed high risk will worry that the risk status of those nations might change without warning while they are away. And, though some hotels might benefit from accommodating quarantining passengers, that would be a short-term gain.

“Who wants to come knowing they have to spend 10 days in a hotel and pay for the privilege?” Mr. Freudmann said.

Britain’s travel policy has been marked by twists and turns from the start. The government initially argued that restrictions would make little overall difference given that the virus was already circulating in Britain.

Then in July, when it moved abruptly to introduce a quarantine on travelers from Spain, it embarrassed the minister responsible for aviation policy, the transport secretary, Grant Shapps, who learned of the decision while he was on vacation — in Spain.

Under the rules in place last summer, travelers from a range of lower-risk countries were exempt from the requirement to isolate themselves. But the list was reviewed each week, making the decision to travel a gamble for vacationers, thousands of whom found themselves abroad while changes came into force.

Britain was slow to introduce requirements on travelers to show a negative coronavirus test result and, when it did so recently, struggled to provide enough staff to check those arriving, causing crowded scenes in some airport arrival halls.

Some critics argue that the problem with the British system is lackluster enforcement, not just of quarantining travelers but of Britons asked to stay home after testing positive for the virus, or being in contact with someone who had.

“The elephant in the room here is the number of people domestically who we need to be self-isolating who aren’t — and we’ve really got to address that,” the former health secretary, Jeremy Hunt, told Sky News.

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World

State Senate passes resolution to repeal mask mandate

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The Republican-controlled state Senate voted 18-13 to repeal Wisconsin’s mask mandate. Continuing Coverage: Coronavirus in WisconsinIt followed hours of debate from both sides.”But frankly, I’m pissed. I’m pissed because my neighbors are dying. I’m pissed because I haven’t hugged my family in the last nine months. and the people who have been suffering the most are not even able to come and speak to see what’s happening right now,” state Sen. Chris Larson said. “I would not advocate to not wear a mask. If you’re out, wear one, but it should not be mandated to have to wear one in a continued ongoing proposal that this emergency is the same thing on and on and on again. That is not the authority of the governor past 61 days,” state Sen. Van Wanggaard said. Republican Sens. Rob Cowles and Dale Kooyenga joined Democrats in opposing the measure.This is a joint resolution.The state assembly still needs to vote on it and plans a vote on Thursday.Both legislative chambers have to pass the resolution in order to undo the governor’s statewide mask requirement.If it passes, a mask mandate would be left up to individual cities and counties.Sign up for coronavirus email alerts from WISNGet breaking news alerts with the WISN 12 app.Follow us: Facebook | Twitter | Instagram | YouTube

MADISON, Wis. —

The Republican-controlled state Senate voted 18-13 to repeal Wisconsin’s mask mandate.

Continuing Coverage: Coronavirus in Wisconsin

It followed hours of debate from both sides.

“But frankly, I’m pissed. I’m pissed because my neighbors are dying. I’m pissed because I haven’t hugged my family in the last nine months. and the people who have been suffering the most are not even able to come and speak to see what’s happening right now,” state Sen. Chris Larson said.

“I would not advocate to not wear a mask. If you’re out, wear one, but it should not be mandated to have to wear one in a continued ongoing proposal that this emergency is the same thing on and on and on again. That is not the authority of the governor past 61 days,” state Sen. Van Wanggaard said.

Republican Sens. Rob Cowles and Dale Kooyenga joined Democrats in opposing the measure.

This is a joint resolution.

The state assembly still needs to vote on it and plans a vote on Thursday.

Both legislative chambers have to pass the resolution in order to undo the governor’s statewide mask requirement.

If it passes, a mask mandate would be left up to individual cities and counties.

Sign up for coronavirus email alerts from WISN

Get breaking news alerts with the WISN 12 app.
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World

France passes law protecting the sounds and smells of the countryside

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(CNN) — France has passed a law protecting the “sensory heritage” of its rural areas, in the face of complaints about the noises and smells typical of the countryside.

Senators voted to approve the law, which passed through the lower house of parliament last year, on Thursday, according to a statement from Joël Giraud, the Minister for Rural Affairs.

Giraud said he celebrated the adoption of the law, which aims to “define and protect the sensory heritage of the French countryside.”

Better understanding the typical “sounds and smells” of rural areas will be useful in “preventing disagreements between neighbors,” the statement continued.

Saint-Pierre-d’Oléron in western France was the rural community at the center of Maurice the rooster’s 2019 trial.

Hemis/Alamy

Regional authorities will be tasked with defining “rural heritage, including its sensory identity,” Giraud said.

“It’s a real victory for rural communities,” he added. “Do your part, let’s preserve the countryside.”

France has seen an increasing number of social conflicts between long-term residents of rural communities and new arrivals.

One emblematic case involved a rooster called Maurice, who was put on trial in July 2019 after neighbors complained about his early morning crowing.

However, a court in Rochefort, western France, rejected the neighbors’ complaints of noise pollution and ordered them to pay €1,000 (around $1,200) in damages.

The case came to symbolize growing divisions between rural and urban France as the neighbors were city-dwellers who only visited Saint-Pierre-d’Oléron a few times a year.

“He is a rooster. Roosters have the desire to sing,” Corinne Fesseau, who owned Maurice, said at the time of the trial.

“That is the countryside. We must protect the countryside,” she added.

Christophe Sueur, mayor of Saint-Pierre-d’Oléron, told CNN the verdict was “common sense,” adding: “I am all for preserving French traditions. The rooster cry is a French tradition that needs to be preserved.”

Maurice is now sadly deceased, but Giraud mentioned the rooster in a tweet celebrating the new law, writing: “A posthumous victory for Maurice the rooster, a symbol of rural life!”



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