#bead : a little perforated ball, to be strung on a thread, and worn for ornament
- French: compte
- German: die Perle
- Italian: conto
- Portuguese: missanga
- Spanish: cuenta
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Fill in missing or incorrect translations @ https://wordofthehour.org/r/translations
Trump Admin Blocking Billions In Already Awarded Broadband Grants To States That Enforce Net Neutrality Or Engage In Telecom Oversight
Today's bakes.
#food #cooking #baking #bead #shourdough 🍞 🍽️ 🍜 🧑🍳
State announces trimmed-down fiber internet expansion
As of June of this year, Louisiana was one of three states that had already awarded grants for deployment of BEAD, the federal government’s broadband internet deployment program.
Known in the state as GUMBO 2.0, the federal grants were the state’s second wave of fiber internet deployment, set to connect the parts of the state missed by the first round of GUMBO program funding.
However, after months of waiting, the federal government declared all states had to re-award the programs, starting a new 60-day consideration process, in which the state would consider cheaper satellite offers along with fiber cables, including from Starlink, a division of Elon Musk’s SpaceX.
Published:June 169:52 am Trump admin halts fiber internet expansion in LouisianaLouisiana was the first state in the nation to have its plans for fiber expansion approved by the feds as part of a Biden era grant program. Now, that approval has been revoked by Trump’s secretary of commerce.
Now that the process is nearly wrapped, the new program is looking to spend nearly $500 million on internet deployment, which is $250 million less than the previous iteration, with more than $7.5 million now awarded to SpaceX.
While the original GUMBO 2.0 was set to cover 140,000 locations, including many of the state’s most remote areas, the newly drafted proposal is set to cover 13,000 fewer locations, with others still to receive coverage, but from less reliable satellite internet.
The majority of the new internet deployments now mapped at Connect LA are scheduled for completion by 2030 and over three-fourths were awarded to providers headquartered within the state.
Also, #LightPollution from #StarlinkSatellites and #SpacePollution when they become obsolete!
#SpaceX Pushes States To Scrap #Fiber Plans And Redirect All #Broadband Grants To Starlink
By The Droid Guy
August 19, 2025
"The fight over America’s broadband future is heating up again, and this time SpaceX is taking direct aim at state governments. In a filing with #Louisiana’s Office of Broadband Development and Connectivity, the company argued that the state’s decision to dedicate more than 90 percent of its federal broadband grants to fiber is 'wasteful and unnecessary taxpayer spending.' Instead, SpaceX insists, the money should go to its Starlink satellite network.
SpaceX vs. Fiber: Two Competing Visions
"At the heart of the dispute lies the $42 billion Broadband Equity, Access, and Deployment (#BEAD) program, a federal initiative meant to expand high-speed internet access. Under the Trump administration, rules were rewritten to favor a 'tech-neutral' approach, allowing satellite providers like SpaceX to compete more directly with traditional wired services. Louisiana’s final proposal, however, still leans heavily on fiber infrastructure.
"Louisiana intends to spend about $499 million to connect roughly 128,000 homes and businesses, the majority through a consortium of fiber providers. Starlink, in contrast, was awarded just $7.75 million to serve 10,327 locations. SpaceX argues it could have covered nearly all households for under $100 million, claiming the state ignored the new federal rules that emphasize cost efficiency.
The Case For Fiber
"State officials remain cautious about going all-in on satellites. Fiber, though more expensive to deploy, is widely considered 'future-proof' because capacity can scale dramatically as technology improves. A single fiber line can eventually deliver multi-gigabit speeds without replacing the underlying infrastructure. It’s also immune to congestion issues that plague wireless systems.
"Louisiana’s broadband office has noted concerns about Starlink’s long-term viability, pointing out challenges such as limited spectrum, susceptibility to weather, interference from trees, and capacity strain in densely populated areas. Simply put, fiber can handle the demand of tomorrow, while satellites may hit performance ceilings."
Lücken in der Infrastruktur 🌐 In ländlichen und indigenen Gebieten fehlt teils bis zu 27,7 % der Bevölkerung schneller #Internetzugang, was viele bei veralteten Diensten hält.
Programme für besseren Zugang 🚀 Förderinitiativen wie das #AffordableConnectivityProgram und #BEAD sollen #Breitband flächendeckend ausbauen und erschwinglich machen.
👉 https://eicker.TV ▹ #Technik #Medien #Politik #Wirtschaft ⏻ https://eicker.BE/ratung von Gerrit Eicker aus Münster (2/2)
Looks good, a study of the making of #Nassarius #shell #bead headbands among the Mek, in the Highlands of West New Guinea.
This is the shell genus found in the oldest beads made by humanity -- in N Africa (Morocco, Algeria) and South Africa -- up to 140,000 years ago.
https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/19442890.2025.2523635
Grrrrr... #Starlink tries to block #Virginia’s plan to bring #FiberInternet to residents
#SpaceX wants more money, asks Trump admin to reject state's #broadband grant plan.
Jon Brodkin – Aug 14, 2025
"Starlink operator SpaceX is fighting Virginia's plan to deploy fiber Internet service to residents, claiming that federal grant money should be given to Starlink instead. SpaceX is already in line to win over $3 million in grant money in the state but is seeking $60 million.
"Starlink is poised to benefit from the Trump administration rewriting rules for the $42 billion #Broadband Equity, Access, and Deployment (#BEAD) grant program. While the Biden administration decided that states should prioritize #fiber in order to build more #FutureProof networks, the Trump administration ordered states to revise their plans with a 'tech-neutral approach' and lower the average cost of serving each location."
#DarkSkies #SpacePollution #KesslerSyndrome #LightPollution #MoreCablesLessSatellites #BuildForTheFuture #DarkFiber #FiberOptic #ElonSucks #TrumpSucks #USPol
#bead : a little perforated ball, to be strung on a thread, and worn for ornament
- French: compte
- German: die Perle
- Italian: conto
- Portuguese: missanga
- Spanish: cuenta
------------
See previous words @ https://wordofthehour.org/r/past
NTIA rewrites #BEAD rules, scrapping fiber preference and restarting state broadband plans. wireless and satellite ISPs now eligible. Industry fears delays and legal fights. #Broadband #DigitalDivide https://washingtonhorizon.com/ntia-rewrites-bead-rules-the-broadband-groundhog-day-no-one-asked-for/
»The plan for nationwide #fiberinternet might be upended for #Starlink: What’s really happening with #BEAD.« https://www.theverge.com/news/675502/bead-program-fiber-internet-paused?eicker.news #tech #media #news
#NPR #1A #Broadband #RuralAmerica #TFGMusk #Starlink #BEAD
The part that caught my ear is the guy in charge (Lutnick) of putting this Broadband Equity Access deployment program forward (most states are shovel ready) might not do that or cut it somehow, leaving wired and fiber internet broadband out for many people.
So it'll cost more and be more expensive for most people.
But they could use Starlink, right?
Who does that benefit?
Hmmm. Wanna bet Mush has met with Lutnick?
https://www.npr.org/2017/07/12/536890695/why-the-internet-fast-lane-has-bypassed-rural-america
This is really good news. Hopefully it will assist in getting fiber to my home. The P2P wireless ISP isn't cutting it. I discovered recently that their base station has only a 1 hour power supply when there is a blackout.
"In sum, while BEAD was not as ambitious as a Green New Deal–style program, which would enlist an entirely public and unionized workforce, it was better than a garden-variety neoliberal public-private partnership with zero regard for labor standards.
Fiber-optic systems handle growing bandwidth demands through equipment upgrades, which require long-term maintenance crews — meaning stable employment and durable internet for these communities for decades to come. Instead of this promising vision, rural Americans now face the prospect of receiving inferior internet service while the potential for sustainable union employment evaporates in favor of satellite technology that requires minimal ongoing workforce investment in their communities.
By the time Biden left office, his administration had just finished approving state proposals, setting the stage for implementation. So long, BEAD. We hardly knew ye.
The promise of laying fiber-optic cable was that it would require workers on the ground everywhere, creating jobs throughout rural America. By contrast, Starlink satellites are made in two locations in Washington and Texas, launched from Cape Canaveral, and managed remotely from SpaceX headquarters — bypassing any meaningful job creation in the communities that stood most to benefit."
https://jacobin.com/2025/03/musk-starlink-rural-internet-jobs
#USA #Musk #StarLink #Broadband #RuralAmerica #DigitalDivide #Unions #BEAD
Public Broadband Under Siege: Corporate Interests Threaten Rural America's Digital Future https://mikepaul.com/public-broadband-under-siege-corporate-interests-threaten-rural-americas-digital-future/ #Bead, #Broadband, #Doge, #Musk, #PublicBroadband
