Starlink has a significant technical challenge that could hurt its ability to participate in the Broadband Equity, Access, and Deployment (BEAD) Program, according to an analysis Tom Reid, the principal of the Reid Consulting Group.
The idea behind Reid’s critique is conceptually simple: Starlink’s low-earth orbit (LEO) satellites move very quickly (his analysis said 17,000 miles per hour). They also are comparatively low. Thus, service must be handed off as the satellites serve end users. To do so smoothly requires a field-of-view cone of 110 degrees.
As the name implies, a field-of-view cone is an unobstructed view between the satellite and the end user’s dish. Reid said his firm’s study of Ohio topography found significant foliage and terrain challenges. While the terrain implications are not yet determined, the firm’s analysis found that 70% of Starlink’s locations may face foliage challenges.
To clear these obstacles and provide sufficient signals, 50-foot to 100-foot towers may be required. This, Reid said, could add between $15,000 and $50,000 per location.
“While many celebrate saving half of the BEAD funding, the reality for much of rural America is being stuck with ‘pretend’ broadband via LEO,” Reid told Telecompetitor in an email about his Starlink analysis.
“LEO services represent an amazing technological feat. However, many of the locations slated for LEO will be unable to receive the service due to terrain or foliage obstructions. It has been suggested that homeowners, at their own expense, build towers ranging in height [from] 50’ to 150’ to get a clear view of the sky — an absurd logistical and financial burden.”
This analysis is not the only challenge Starlink faces. Last month, a report from Ooklafound that the provider’s median speed is short of the 100/20 Mbps benchmark that the Federal Communications set ad defining broadband in 2024.
Meanwhile, the company and the National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) are debating whether Starlink owner SpaceX can demand changes to BEAD requirements. The latest is that the NTIA stands by its established requirements and that the 100/20 Mbps threshold still defines what it considers “qualifying broadband.”
