The speed of sloth

Someday the government may build broadband out to me as promised. But I'm not holding my breath based on their existing programs.

Photo by Compare Fibre on Unsplash

On occasion I have talked about how Delaware has failed its rural residents, making big promises about bringing broadband to underserved rural areas of the state (like mine) but swinging and missing for the most part. This piece from last August described my problem, and it’s well worth reading because these things STILL apply:

As you can guess, the state figured out they couldn’t do it by themselves, so they decided to break down and go hat in hand to the federal government, who was more than happy to spend more of our great-grandkids’ money to try and get the job done.

Problem is that they’re not doing a thing. According to the Washington Times (h/t

Erick-Woods Erickson

):

Residents in rural America are eager to access high-speed internet under a $42.5 billion federal modernization program, but not a single home or business has been connected to new broadband networks nearly three years after President Biden signed the funding into law, and no project will break ground until sometime next year.

Lawmakers and internet companies blame the slow rollout on burdensome requirements for obtaining the funds, including climate change mandates, preferences for hiring union workers and the requirement that eligible companies prioritize the employment of “justice-impacted” people with criminal records to install broadband equipment.

The Commerce Department, which is distributing the funds under the Broadband Equity Access and Deployment (BEAD) program, is also attempting to regulate consumer rates, lawmakers say. This puts them at odds with internet providers and congressional Republicans, who say the law prohibits such regulation.

So instead of helping people, the government is trying to split out the graft so that all their favored interests get their share - besides, by involving rural areas we’re talking about the peons who generally vote Republican anyway. So there’s no rush.

And in talking about the BEAD program, it hits close to home - on the road that starts across from my house are several residences which were placed in a BEAD area as was some of my neighbors down the road. Oddly enough, depending on which way they run the fiber optic lines, my prospective broadband - which comes from a program called RDOF - may pass right by them, although I believe they’ll run it down the road my house actually fronts on - whenever they get to it. I just checked in with them and they said, “it will not be this year.”

In any event, the state has basically ceded its promise to Uncle Sam, despite an ever-growing budget. (Or, as they call it, “leverage federal funding.” What a crock.)

But instead of trying to enhance opportunity by actually building stuff, the feds are looking to tip the scales:

Under the Digital Equity Act, Delaware received a $516,096 grant to develop a State Digital Equity Plan that identifies the local barriers to digital equity of covered populations (low-income households, senior citizens, racial and ethnic minorities, veterans, rural residents, incarcerated and returning individuals, people with disabilities, and those with language or literacy barriers) and possible strategies to address those needs.

How about building it first and then working from there? Instead, it’s the mission creep that government is known for. In fact, in looking up my proposed provider, they have a note that the federally-funded assistance program they use (a subsidy for the cost of the service) is coming to an end. I doubt the feds are going to use the savings on what the program was initially meant to do.

Meanwhile, the private sector has come to the rescue. In the time since all this began, Starlink has become available to us - at least for the moment. My only concern about it would be the same as I have for my satellite TV, which loses signal in heavy weather. (That and climbing up on my roof to install “Dishy McFlatface”, where it has to go because our dogs can’t always keep their nose out of stuff.)

But if I called Starlink right now, I’ll bet they would have my stuff to me in a week, tops. A little elbow grease on my part and I could be all set. (It wouldn’t surprise me if there’s not a local company that could install it, either.)

Otherwise, based on information from the government, I may have to wait another 3-4 years for something they were hoping to have ready a couple years ago. I suppose “hurry up and wait” is a mantra for a reason.

In the meantime, though, you can Buy Me a Coffee, since I have a page there now. You can also like and restack this piece so others can enjoy it.

Late edit: as a way of gaining context for this issue to an increasing readership who wasn’t here from Day 1, I’m going to repost the articles cited here as Monday memories the next two weeks.