My home is not on any broadband grant list, now what?

This question has come up for many when they realize that construction of new fiber broadband may not reach their location. Are there any solutions and will more help or grants be coming in the future?

Seems like a good time to talk about alternative solutions for homeowners and what the future holds for broadband grants. There are also services available for business owners, but I will save that topic for a future article.

Internet services available now for homeowners (residential subscribers) vary depending on your location. Assuming you are not in an area that is currently serviced by Optimum, one of the Highlands service providers, Balsam West, or will be serviced in the future through a previously awarded grant program, your options are limited to either a satellite provider or one of the wireless services.

Satellite and Wireless Internet

The best satellite service on the list is StarLink. I say “best” because StarLink offers the fastest speeds, lowest latency, and the fewest weather disruptions of any satellite provider, all with no data caps. Starlink has now been around about four years, and many residents in Macon County without access to other Internet services are connected to it, including me. StarLink is a great solution if you do not have access to faster hard line services, you have enough clear sky view for the satellite signal reception, and you can afford the entry cost. Unfortunately, StarLink availability in our area is closed at the moment. Part of this is due to Helene, but there are simply too many StarLink customers in our area and not enough satellites and ground stations to service them. Hopefully this situation will change in the future as more folks impacted by Helene get back on cable or fiber, and as SpaceX is able to put more satellites and ground stations in service.

The other two satellite providers are Hughesnet and Viasat. There are many mixed reviews about these services which range from poor performance, frequent outages, data caps, etc. But these services do work well for many folks and are still an option if there are no others.

If you wish to learn more about the various satellite internet services in detail, PC Magazine recently published a very comprehensive article available here.
https://www.pcmag.com/comparisons/starlink-vs-hughesnet-vs-viasat-which-satellite-internet-provider-is-best

Beyond satellite, there are a number of wireless Internet providers, depending on where you are located. If you have good signal from a cell tower, you may be able to get fixed wireless service from Verizon, T-Mobile, or AT&T. In our area this is mainly limited to the major highway corridors and in Franklin. There are also a few pockets of wireless Internet service available from companies like Sky Runner and BalsamWest. Unfortunately, the coverage by these providers is pretty limited to specific communities.

Future Broadband Grants

For those who want or need a fiber connection to their home and are not in an area that will be impacted by any of the already awarded grant programs, there are new grant programs on the horizon. Though this can provide some hope, the future of these programs is uncertain at the moment.

During the previous administration, the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA) was passed into law, and $42.5 billion from this bill was allocated for rural broadband expansion. These funds were placed under jurisdiction of the federal agency NTIA for distribution through a program called BEAD. Under the current BEAD rules defined by the NTIA, the funds are to be divided up amongst the states and administered by state broadband programs. The state of North Carolina is designated to receive $1.53 billion, which will be used to fund future rounds of the existing GREAT and CAB grant programs.

Unfortunately, current political and economic uncertainty is having a ripple effect on all government agencies and business sectors. The new administration is changing leadership at the NTIA, the FCC, and other agencies, and as with many agencies within the federal government grant programs are on hold. It is unclear what changes will be made to the NTIA BEAD program or if any of these funds will still be made available to the states after program changes are complete.

Broadband organizations, providers industry-wide, and state broadband offices are all waiting to see what happens next. Of course rumors and speculation vary widely from all funds being reclaimed by the fed to only minor rule changes, but no one knows what the final outcome will be. Until NTIA reorganization (leadership changes and head count reductions) and BEAD funding decisions are complete, future broadband grant programs funded through BEAD are on hold. If you feel these funds should be spent as legislated by Congress for rural broadband expansion, now would be a good time to communicate this desire to your senators and representatives.