In are area, Starlink only got crap that was difficult or impossible to serve 
via a normal business case.  

 

 

From: AF <[email protected]> On Behalf Of Ken Hohhof
Sent: Friday, October 3, 2025 10:26 AM
To: 'AnimalFarm Microwave Users Group' <[email protected]>
Subject: Re: [AFMUG] how will BEAD subsidize LEO?

 

Mark was probably on target when he said bidding on BEAD was a defensive move 
for the LEO guys.  They don’t want the money so much as they don’t want 
subsidized competition.  They don’t want you to get it.

 

You didn’t necessarily lose those locations, you’ll just have to do them with 
100% your own money rather than 75%.  Starlink didn’t necessarily get those 
customers, and while they prevented you from getting BEAD money for fiber, they 
also prevented everyone else from getting BEAD money for fiber.  So there still 
may be an opportunity for you.

 

Now starts the bidding war for subcontract labor and duct and fiber and 
handholes and splice cases.  Maybe jump on those areas right now, before the 
BEAD funds start flowing?

 

From: AF <[email protected] <mailto:[email protected]> > On Behalf 
Of Josh Luthman
Sent: Friday, October 3, 2025 11:13 AM
To: AnimalFarm Microwave Users Group <[email protected] <mailto:[email protected]> >
Subject: Re: [AFMUG] how will BEAD subsidize LEO?

 

>Because there was a strong weighting for fiber as it is better than LEO

Well that's just wrong.  I'm doing fiber at $4000 and lost half my locations to 
Starlink at $600.

 

On Fri, Oct 3, 2025 at 11:48 AM <[email protected] <mailto:[email protected]> > 
wrote:

Because there was a strong weighting for fiber as it is better than LEO.  

So unless it was over $10k-$15k per location it went to LEO.  

 

Best Regards, 

Chuck McCown

McCown Technology Corporation

8401 N Commerce Drive

Lake Point, Utah 84074

801-250-9503 Office

 <http://www.microtrench-blades.com/> www.microtrench-blades.com

 <http://www.mccowntech.com/> www.mccowntech.com

www.terabitnetworks.com <http://www.terabitnetworks.com> 

 

From: AF <[email protected] <mailto:[email protected]> > On Behalf 
Of Jason McKemie
Sent: Friday, October 3, 2025 9:13 AM
To: AnimalFarm Microwave Users Group <[email protected] <mailto:[email protected]> >
Subject: Re: [AFMUG] how will BEAD subsidize LEO?

 

I'm still confused as to how anywhere got funded for fiber if LEO is available. 
According the rules, the per location cost was the most important factor. Yet 
there are some fiber projects that evidently beat out LEO.

 

On Fri, Oct 3, 2025, 9:37 AM Steve Jones <[email protected] 
<mailto:[email protected]> > wrote:

It's a definite win for taxpayers either way

 

On Fri, Oct 3, 2025, 7:37 AM Mark Radabaugh <[email protected] 
<mailto:[email protected]> > wrote:

In the big picture do you think Amazon or Starlink really care if they actually 
get paid?    The money is a drop in the bucket for a worldwide LEO system.   
It’s more risk to them having fiber funded to all of these locations.   This 
feels more like a defensive play than anything.   If they get some government 
money out of it (in their view) it’s great, and if they don’t and can keep 
fiber out, they get money anyway.     For the LEO providers this is a win, win, 
or win big.    

 

If they have to forfeit some money in the end, do they really care?

 

Mark

 

 

 

On Oct 2, 2025, at 12:41 PM, Jesse DuPont <[email protected] 
<mailto:[email protected]> > wrote:

 

The other challenge for LEO is they don't get to reduce their Letter of Credit 
or Bond amounts until they have subscribers that meet milestones (not just 
having covered BSLs, but actual subscribers). So they'll be motivated to get 
people to sign up, whatever that looks like.

 

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