Alabama’s leaders have made broadband access a top priority, and together, we have invested significant resources to achieve this goal. The early efforts of former Senator Clay Scofield and Representative Randall Shedd established the Alabama Digital Expansion Authority. Alabama’s investment in our Broadband Accessibility Grant Program helped us understand the intricacies of identifying truly unserved areas in our state when we created the Accessibility Fund in 2018.
This program produced an accurate mapping product that led to massive state and federal investments to install fiber optic cable to improve access. This was a big deal with a promising outlook and has done tangible good. These accomplishments should not be overlooked.
Little did we know that in a matter of just a few years, a completely different, market-driven solution would solve the challenge of rural broadband connectivity in the state and the world beyond. What’s surprising is that it works so well, is cheap, and is deployable today with no costly infrastructure investment.
If you live in a rural area of the county, you can purchase a Starlink dish and accompanying router today, install it yourself without a single tool, and have high-speed broadband service immediately. There’s no waiting for fiber infrastructure to be installed in your community, no waiting for an appointment to meet a technician to install a box on the side of your house, and no monthly service fees for equipment. Did I mention it’s available immediately?
So, let’s talk speed, but not in overtly technical terms. Starlink will more than adequately serve the residential needs of a home with several teenagers streaming Hulu, Netflix, and YouTubeTV while FaceTiming and snapping with their friends, to say nothing of the Zoom calls, Webex meetings, and Amazon shopping needs of the adults. I know because I’ve been a Starlink customer for two years. It’s flawless.
How about the price? Currently, $299 gets you a dish, the router, the cable and the stand you’ll need to get going. Currently, the service is $120/month. I say currently because the cost keeps coming down as Starlink gains more subscribers. The good old free market again… That’s less than the best family cell service plan I can find and certainly less than a decent smartphone. Oh, and there are no contracts.
So why did I say it’s only solved rural access challenges? The very challenge that made serving rural areas, density, or lack thereof, is where Starlink thrives. Too much density, say in dense urban areas, and fiber is a much better option, and the density of those customers makes the infrastructure investment financially viable. Broadband provided by satellite and broadband provided by fiber can and should coexist. One size rarely fits all, and that’s true here as well.
Technology changes, often at a rate that’s hard to comprehend, but the trend is clear. Telegraphs, rotary telephones, fax machines, bag cellular phones, dial-up, BlackBerrys, and even space shuttles were all novel at one time. Fiberoptics and satellite internet will likely be obsolete one day, too, but in the meantime, let’s embrace the proven, innovative solutions that this timeless concept of a free market has provided and encourage all Alabamians to enjoy broadband access today. Alabama has many challenges that need solving. Thankfully, we can cross this one off our list.
State Sen. Chris Elliott (R-Daphne) represents Baldwin County in the Alabama State Senate and serves as the Chairman of the County & Municipal Governments Committee.
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