Letter: Rural broadband vs. satellite
It’s clear that large telecoms are using huge federal dollars every year for a fiber solution that is barely moving the needle on rural needs (“How to solve the rural-urban digital divide,” hcn.org, 12/6/21). Starlink, on the other hand, offers a low-cost solution that appears to be a game changer for those in very rural locations. What’s not clear is whether it can meet the pent-up demand for broadband to remote areas. This discussion is incomplete without commentary on the extent to which satellite can displace telecoms in very rural areas.
Dennis Lopach
Missoula, Montana