[1st-mile-nm] URGENT: Satellite Internet v. Cable/Fiber Internet: costs and benefits?

[Owen Densmore]

What about cellular?

T-Mobile has a dongle that you plug into the wall and it delivers wifi to
the home. It's only available in certain areas but I plan to try it as
soon as it is available to my home.

My bet is some of us are already using this?

    -- Owen

On Tue, Dec 28, 2021 at 9:46 AM Robert Jacobson <
robert.jacobson at atelier-tomorrow.com> wrote:

> Dear 1st Mile Friends,
>
> I’m preparing an application for a state broadband grant and need your
> input to knowledgeably ask for funding for what purposes.  Here’s why...
>
> Our household experience with SpaceX's StarLink broadband service has been
> great (250-300Mbps down, 25Mbps up), no weather interference, etc.  The
> modem supplied with the two-foot self-aiming antenna is powerful enough
> that my neighbor’s visitors 20 yards away can camp on it. (We’re friends.)
>
> Every device in our home, now connected to the StarLink modem, is running
> at max speed. Total cost so far has been ~$495 for the gear, one hour for
> easy installation (my own labor), and ~$90 per month for access to the
> satellites.  (We haven’t gotten our first monthly invoice.)
>
> We do pay extra for some online fare, but not to SpaceX.  It goes directly
> to Apple, Showtime, Netflix, various Patreon podcasts, etc.
>
> Providers of “conventional" broadband modalities — cable and fiber —must
> string cable/fiber overhead and/or bury it in conduits and trenches; and
> must build local networks to distribute data to offices and households.
> Providers may require their homeowner, office, ranch, etc. customers to own
> additional gear.
>
> Also, they may have fees to pay for channels they resell to customers,
> links from fiber to cable, their own tower or satellite expenses, etc.
> They pass along most of these expenses to their local-government and
> household/office subscribers.
>
> Each modality must provide quality service to its customers and generate
> earnings for its owners.
>
> My questions to my 1st-Mile colleagues:
>
> 1. In your experience, what are comparable numbers for satellite internet
> vs conventional cable and/or fiber to the home in a rural setting with
> about 450 households concentrated on one mile of highway (that is supposed
> one day to be wired with fiber per state dictates) and another 100 on the
> perimeter.
>
> If you were writing a grant for this purpose, on which modality would you
> rely?  Special conditions?
>
> Thanks for your rapid reply. We have to file our application January 31st,
> latest!
>
> Bob Jacobson
> Atelier Tomorrow Inc.
> A Nonprofit Consultancy
> Patagonia, AZ 85624
> (520) 370-1259
> LinkedIn:
> https://linkedin.com/in/bobjacobson
>
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