It’s clear that large telecoms are using huge federal dollars every year for a fiber solution that is barely moving the needle on rural needs (“How to solve the rural-urban digital divide,” hcn.org, 12/6/21). Starlink, on the other hand, offers a low-cost solution that appears to be a game changer for those in very rural locations. What’s not clear is whether it can meet the pent-up demand for broadband to remote areas. This discussion is incomplete without commentary on the extent to which satellite can displace telecoms in very rural areas.
Dennis Lopach
Missoula, Montana
This article appeared in the print edition of the magazine with the headline Letter: Rural broadband vs. satellite.
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