Microsoft and the Digital Divide

 I recently read an article about Microsoft President shaming the government, because of their lack of TRYING to get the digital divide closed even by a little bit.  

The broadband map that the FCC supplies online has been downright awful from it's beginning.  I tried this morning to look up my address on the map, and I guess my address doesn't exist.  Next, I just entered the town in general.  There were three options they claim we have for rural broadband.  Two of them are the known Satellite companies, and then a cable company.  The cable company they have listed DOESN'T serve our area.  The DSL company that I use isn't on the list, and I see signs all over town about DISH TV offering their Satellite internet which wasn't on the list either.  Lastly, AT&T also offers Fixed Wireless and they are absent from the list as well.

The biggest issue I found with the FCC broadband map in the past is that vendors SELF report, and companies could claim they service the area with their exaggerated speeds and performance.  It didn't matter if it was accurate, and the government used this map (one aspect) to issue grants to these internet giants to expand rural broadband.  On my cynical side?  They don't want to service our area, and no doubt put their claims in about how THEY are already service here so they aren't questioned about it. Self Reporting is a rather stupid when you are talking billions of dollars of Federal grants. 

The Pandemic started to wake some people in the government up a bit, because everyone at that point needed broadband.  During the height of the Pandemic our schools were closed like the rest of the country.  The media filled the airwaves about zoom calls, and classes online.  Problem is you can't do that if companies don't offer rural broadband in your area.  

If you did have internet?  Chances are it didn't work well for online learning, because the bandwidth (one aspect) was overloaded.  So, even if you were lucky enough to HAVE rural broadband?  Their services were not built for the capacity that was needed.  

I know one location parents drove to here was the Trigg County Convention Center & Recreation Complex, because they brought in a trailer to provide WIFI.  When our family went there to get our vaccine shots?  The password was still listed in the window.  So your children were doing online schooling inside their parents cars.

Microsoft has their own map, and there is a HUGE difference between what the FCC THINKS is available, and what actually is.  Here is a screenshot I took today:

When you hear the reports on rating of available broadband in Kentucky?  We rank 44th last time I checked.  This is out of the 50 states of course.  Notice the HUGE difference Microsoft is reporting, and what the FCC 'self reporting' claims.  

Microsoft a number of years ago started The Microsoft Airband Initiative .

Their program started with the idea of using Television White Spaces to delivery rural broadband, and they want to partner up with companies, governments, etc. to help with the digital divide.  This expands outside the United States as well.  They seem to have been honking this horn for a while now.

Unfortunately, it seems government has regulated themselves out of the power seat to even negotiate better services to many parts of America.  

A Milwaukee newspaper basically quoted the lack of authority that government has (which its pretty much none) to even require Telecom's to address the issues of service, and lack of service.

When you sign up for their services (The Telecom) you agree to arbitration with them, and can not sue them for the lack or awful service they provide.  So, if you sign up for a rural broadband service that claims UP TO 25 meg of service?  You speed of 3 is still within that range.  

Most internet service providers, including CenturyLink, Frontier, Spectrum and AT&T, have language in their subscription contracts that prevents customers from suing them, and instead sends disputes into private arbitration. 

In April 2016, a bill was introduced in Congress aimed at ending forced arbitration clauses in internet, mobile phone, and cable television contracts. Called the Justice for Telecommunications Consumers Act, it never passed.

Madison attorney Anita Gallucci said it's not feasible for the typical broadband customer to take legal action alone against one of the companies.

Notice the Act in Congress never passed.  No doubt the Telecom's have plenty of power to stop anything that hurts their bottom line.  Yet, love those Federal grant dollars they get to allegedly improve rural broadband.  

Congress really needs to get on the ball here (I know I'm dreaming here), because the Pandemic showed how they have completely DROPPED the ball when it comes to rural broadband in this country.

I'm still waiting to hear from Starlink.  (crossing fingers)

120 Starlink Satellites this week!

 Another two batches of Starlink Satellites went up this last week, and the one on March 11, 2021 caught my eye because of the Sun.

How pretty is that?

They were more specific with this mornings Launch (3/14/2021) about the expansion of the Beta in Western Germany and the South Island of New Zealand.  That course and they also expanding to additional parts of the UK.

They also mentioned two more counties in North Carolina that will be part of a pilot program to help students be able to access the internet for school at home.

Students in K-12 schools in Hyde and Swain counties in North Carolina soon will get satellite broadband as the latest of several SpaceX Starlink pilots.

“We’re excited to begin testing rural student home internet access with the SpaceX Starlink service. Many students live far from cellular or fiber networks. By using the Starlink service these remote students will soon have equal access to the educational resources of their peers who live in more densely populated areas,” Ray Zeisz, Friday Institute Technology Infrastructure Lab Director, said. “We will be conducting performance measurements and monitoring service reliability to ensure future state funding for rural broadband expansion includes all technology options that meet the requirements, in the most cost-effective manner.”

The quote above is from Governor Cooper's Press Office about the program.

This is an exciting time for rural broadband in this country, and it looks like other parts of the world as well.  Thank you Starlink and SpaceX!

Starlink Coming to Germany, New Zealand and expanding in the UK!

  There was an announcement on Reddit today (posted by DishyMcFlatFace) that Starlink is expanding their rural broadband service to Germany, New Zealand and expanding in the UK.

Keep in mind it would be the same latitudes that they have been concentrating their satellites on this whole time.  We had been told that SpaceX needed permission from the countries of course, and then they would place gateways (ground stations) to serve new Beta customers.

This announcement came just in time for their launch that is scheduled tonight, and with that Starlink launch?  Comes 60 more Starlink Satellites.  I plan on watching, because no doubt they will mention this expansion of the Better Than Nothing Beta program!  It must be exciting for those in that area of the world!

You can check your location to see if it is in your area, or soon (hopefully like mine) will be.  At www.starlink.com

COME ON ELON!  Canton is WAITING for YOU!  Woo hoo!

Starlink Naysayers

 I have to say I am a bit perplexed about the amount of naysayers out there when it comes to Starlink.  One of my concerns is I have found at least 3 organizations that have commented negatively, and their organizations purposes for being is rural broadband.  They should be excited about another option available, but they aren't.  

We have to remember this program is in the beta stage, and Starlink has been rather closed lipped about how it will progress.  Their goals in mind?  We have heard them speak about.  

Below is an example email potential participates of the "Better than Nothing Beta' program are sent:

The Title they refer to in the first sentence is "Better Than Nothing Beta".

Here is the latest article, "Mainers using Elon Musk’s satellite internet say it’s no silver bullet for rural access"

The title alone makes you scratch your head.  They do know what a beta program is right?

There is a potential negative side effect to Starlink as the state tries to bridge the digital divide, Schaffer said. In a poorer area, for example, if people who can afford the service sign up, other companies might find it difficult to expand because there won’t be enough demand for their service.

“Starlink has the potential to make it much harder to build out networks,” she said. “It’s a huge equity question of how to bring the networks to people who can’t afford service but still need connections.  -Peggy Schaffer, executive director of the ConnectME Authority”

Schaffer works for an organization that allegedly helps to find ways of to bring broadband to rural areas.  She has Satellite service at her second home, and so she should know the offerings now aren't all that affordable.  If she was satisfied with the service why did she try out Starlink?  There would be no reason too.

Also, 'other companies' have been getting government grants to expand rural broadband for years now.  If they had to be accountable for where those funds went to?  We might have seen some groundwork made in this area, but they don't have to show how they used the money.  Besides some fixed wireless in certain areas?  There has not been much headway.  

Maybe she never realized that 'other companies' haven't come to rural areas already because demand or ROI (Return on investment) isn't what they want now. Again we would have seen more expansion with the use of government grants if they were true to the money were they given already.  The author of the article more than Ms. Schaffer is the bigger naysayer, but her comments about poorer areas?  Love to see her example of affordable for them now.

The Fiber Association and The Rural Broadband Association are also two organizations that are to promote rural broadband expansion, and yet have complied a 'never going to work' powerpoint report.  They are speculating on their report - as they admit in so many words - but say so in a very authoritative way.  Their point is the system will get to congested to fulfill the expectations that Starlink has set for themselves.  The second point seems to be they don't like the fact they were granted government program money to help the expansion.  It would fit better if they (Fiber Association/The Rural Broadband Association) pointed to the 640K customers that they lined up with high speed internet, but they don't mention it.  I doubt they have them...what about you?  Do you think they have them?

I can understand the Satellite companies NOT being all that thrilled with Starlink coming online, but I don't understand the motives of organizations committed to wanting better and reliable broadband for its core purpose for being at their jobs.  The rural areas where the digital divide is.

Hello?!  What have you done for us lately?

Thank you Starlink - a thoughtful note and a realization

 

Thank you Starlink!  has 799 upvotes and counting on Reddit.

Starlink crew-- I want to thank you from the bottom of my heart. On Dec. 7th my 80 year old mom was diagnosed with Covid and sent to the ER. She has languished in the hospital since that time, in isolation, with family not allowed to visit due to Covid restrictions. Because I live in a rural area with no internet other than a bad cell phone connection, getting in touch with her was near impossible. I just wanted to talk to my mom as much as I could, but because of the connection, it wasn't happening without a 30 mile trip to the nearest town. During severe weather that really was impossible because the roads would be closed and impassible and that happens often here. She would call me and beg me to stay on the phone with her, because she was alone and scared. The call would drop and I couldn't get her back on the line. It was heartbreaking. She went downhill in the last week and we were tearfully saying our goodbyes under these circumstances. Enter Starlink! As soon as I set up my beta kit -- BOOM -- I had download speeds of 150mg! I facetimed my mom right away. I stayed on the phone with her ALL DAY. She begged me not to leave her alone again and I was able to say OF COURSE I'll stay here with you! And now, as I sit here with my mom on the line again, all I can say to you is thank you, thank you, thank you!!! Thank you so much. What gift you have given my family. I thank you from the bottom of my heart.

 

I have to say I'm glad this family got the Better than Nothing Beta offer before myself.  I'm still waiting, but I can only imagine the relief for this family.  It shows how even rural broadband is so important to people's lives.

During the height of the Pandemic we had local trailer type (with WIFI connection) of thing that families could drive up to so their kids could attend school.  Ken recently got his first covid vaccine, and I saw the network name and password in the window of one location.  Once things started to open up?  Our schools did to, and no doubt because not everyone can work from home - or drive kids up to the local trailer for online schooling.  Yes, the virus is just as dangerous here as anywhere else.  Yet, we don't have the luxury of  'we don't want to die' signs from teachers here.  That's another reality for lack of broadband.  I'm sure many wish it were different, but it isn't.

Starlink Satellite Map

 

Check out the Live Starlink Satellite Map!  

What I like about this map is you can place in your coordinates, and ask the site to remember you.  Each time you visit the site you can watch where the Starlink Satellites are around you.

The first thing you want to do if you are like me, and had NO idea what your coordinates were in the first place?  Start with your location on google maps.

I use google maps in my car for directions from time to time, and so I have my home already noted on the maps application.

Since I use the same sign in for my phone and desktop computer I basically went to the maps app in the suites available to you, and found my home location that I had set.

As you can see on the screen I have the blue home button on the map.  Click on it - right click - and your coordinates should come up like mine did in this picture.  I did black out part of my coordinates, and everyplace will have a unique set of numbers for where you are located.  

What I did was write them down, and don't neglect the negative side in the coordinates.

Now, On the Starlink Satellite Map website look towards the top of the screen, and you will see a couple of options in a menu.

I circled in red where you click on this website to set your coordinates (location).

I marked in red the two areas in which you place your coordinates above.  Remember not to forget to enter the negative (-) symbol where needed.  Click save, and your done.  You can play with the other options of course, but I don't.  I just want to see the Starlink Satellites that are around my location.

Once you hit save my screen fluttered for a moment, and then zoomed in on my area.  

The green dot is my location, and it shows (if I had SpaceX Starlink Broadband) what Satellites I might be connecting with as they fly around the globe.  If you watch them for a while?  I have noticed with my location I can have red lines on two Starlink Satellites before one moves out of range, and the second one takes over.

Towards the bottom of this website you will see the word 'key', and when you click on that?  It basically explains many of symbols, etc you see on the website.

Play with the Live Starlink Satellite Map for a while!  I'm hoping my dread when it comes to rural broadband finally comes to a happy ending soon once I get invited.

Starlink By SpaceX

 

The family is all a buzz over Starlink by SpaceX.  During the Pandemic lack of rural broadband is even more in your face than it was before.  You can't do online school for example if you have no broadband available.  Trying to work online?  You run into the same roadblock.

We currently have DSL that I had to fight tooth and nail to get, and the speed is about 3-5 megabits per second.  There are many times you buffer, and times you can't do much at all.  From what I have gathered it depends on the copper wire and the amount of users on at one time.  You never get the speed that they claim it can hit.  If you look at the fine print (tiny sentences on their offers) they always tell you the speeds aren't guaranteed.  

There are people in the area with Satellite broadband such as Viasat and HughesNet as well.  Their service never lives up to the commercial claims either.

Our area was told we were being offered AT&T Fixed Wireless for home internet.  No doubt it is better than DSL, but you have to be within distance to the tower for decent service.

Fiber is a pipe dream in rural America for the most part, because of costs.  There has been a company in the next county over that is to bring some fiber into our area, but it will mostly hit areas along the business district.

I have put our deposit down for my place in line to an offer in Starlink's Better than Nothing Beta Program.

What is Starlink?

Starlink is also a Satellite broadband service, but it differs from the current offerings available.  

Starlink is called a Low Earth Orbit (LEO) constellations of many smaller Satellites.  Low earth Orbit Satellites travel about 550 km (340 mi) above the earth's atmosphere.  Distance is a huge factor here when it comes to Latency (time it takes to transfer data from source - in this case a Satellite/ground station -  to end user), and speed of your connection.  Currently Starlink has over 1,000 Satellites in space at this point.

The other Satellite companies named above are what called geostationary earth orbit (GEO), and they are about 22,000 miles from earth's atmosphere.  They also have 1-5 Satellites that serve their customer base.  Normally, you hear about their lack of bandwidth, latency, speed of connection as their major drawbacks.  Most consider it the broadband of last resort.  In other words?  If nothing else is available.

Let's look at an advertisement for GEO Satellite service.

First thing you need to notice is the 'up to' speed on the top.  My DSL will claim the same thing, but it never gets UP TO that speed.  The unlimited data part is pretty much the same as the cell phone services.  They claim 'unlimited' but after you reach maybe 20 GB on your phone in most cases?  Your speed is throttled.  It's the same with the above service.  Then you have your real monthly price in the fine print after x amount of time, and they want a 2 year commitment. On top of that there is the lease fee for their equipment, and also an installation charge.

If you have a family of 4?  100 GB is going to go fast, and $169.99 (Unlimited Gold) is spent.  That's without taxes, lease fees, etc.  It outrageous! Netflix is going to have to travel over 22,000 miles to load, and so YES you are going to have to wait on it (Latency).  If you have a gamer in your home?  They won't be happy either due to Latency, and speeds.  Our DSL offers 150 GB, and then you pay extra for each 50 GB over the 150 GB (comes in lots of 50) after that.  We always go over with our amount of users.

Better Than Nothing Beta?

Starlink is offering by invitation what it calls its 'Better Then Nothing Beta' program.  Users are paying to use the service, and it is promised that will get better as time goes on.  Their data basically helps to get the bugs out of the service before it is open to a bigger customer base.  Elon Musk stresses that this is not competition for other telecoms (high speed broadband services), but its target audience is mostly rural and out of reach customers that need broadband.  It started in the upper part of the United States, and lower parts of Canada.  It has moved on to the UK, and will continue to expand as more Satellites are sent up.  

The email you get explains that the service is 'better than nothing' and speeds can average 50 to 150, and latency (20 to 40 milliseconds) as you can imagine is much lower.  There will be times in which your broadband goes out for a short period of time until (as I understand it) another Satellite comes into range.  Your Data cap at this point is unlimited as well.  They do have software upgrades, and from what you read their customer service is very good.

The system is basically plug and play.  A box comes with what many call Dishy McFlatface, cables, router, and power cords, etc.  Most people on youtube show that it is set up very quick, and once you setup your account on their app?  You have your rural broadband that blows away the rural competition.  From what I have read so far?  They have obstructions check on their app that you use to make sure the placement of your Dish is where it needs to be.  So you must find a place with the least amount of obstructions as possible.

The cost of the service is billed at $99 per month, plus an initial payment of $499 for the mountable satellite dish and router that you'll need to install at home.  According to the FAQ's the equipment is now owned by you!  Keep in mind YES I'm sure there are taxes involved depending on your area, and their requirements.

Within the last month Starlink by SpaceX offered a place in line as new areas open up.  I signed our family up with my deposit of $99.00, and it seems to go by Latitude.  According to articles I have been reading the range is about 45 to 53 Latitude, and we are about 36.78.  Although, there is a Reddit group that asks its users as they get their kits (not deposit like mine) to report their latitude, country to keep track as best they can of where the beta kits are.  According the users on Reddit the Latitude is lower than 45 at this point (36.9 N as of March 2021).  At 36.78 here?  I'm chomping at the bit!

  

A batch of 60 Starlink test satellites stacked atop a Falcon 9 rocket, close to be put in orbit.