politics
SpaceX sends list of demands to US states giving broadband grants to Starlink
SpaceX won’t make specific promises on Starlink network capacity or subscribers.
TL;DR
- SpaceX is requesting grant terms that guarantee payment even if residents don't subscribe to Starlink service.
- The company wants to avoid holding large portions of network capacity for subsidized areas, opting for dynamic allocation.
- SpaceX aims to be free from responsibility for ensuring correct installation of Starlink equipment at customer locations.
- These demands are proposed as a rider for grants distributed under the US government's Broadband Equity, Access, and Deployment (BEAD) program.
- Critics, like Drew Garner of the Benton Institute, argue these concessions limit Starlink's performance obligations and highlight issues with how the BEAD program rules were rewritten.
- SpaceX states that requirements related to labor, contractors, and procurement are inapplicable to them due to the nature of their service.
- The proposed rider defines a 'standard installation' as mailing equipment to a subscriber, with no obligation for professional installation.
- SpaceX also requests to be paid 50 percent of grant funds upon certifying service capability within 10 business days, with the remainder distributed quarterly.