Guess How Many High-Speed Internet Connections Biden Built With $42.45 billion provided by The Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act

PJ Media ^ | 06/18/2024 | Stephen Green

[SeekAndFind]

You've read more than once right here at PJ Media about the $7.5 billion that Presidentish Joe Biden's Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act put on the table as an inducement to build a network of 500,000 EV charging stations up and down the nation's interstate highways. And you've read about how few have been built — eight, at last count.

Well, that was a bargain compared to today's boondoggle.

The same law also set aside $42.45 billion — that's three Ford-class nuclear-powered aircraft carriers — to deploy high-speed internet to millions of Americans who currently lack access. That mostly means rural folks, who are usually the last to get anything new, like drug-resistant herpes or imaginary personal pronouns.

This is the part of the column where I'd ask you to guess how many Americans had been wired for high-speed internet after 2.5 years and all of those billions, and then you'd say, "Zero?" and then we'd both say we need a drink.

Because the answer truly is a big, fat zero.

FCC commissioner Brendan Carr posted to X a few days ago, "Mostly, the $42.45B is just sitting there. Not even one shovel's worth of dirt has been turned."

The infrastructure act is typical Bidenomics, loaded up with rules and regulations that make it impossible to get anything done quickly. As Carr put it, they include "rate regulation, thumb on the scale for government-run networks, technology bias, union preferences plus many more problems."

And since the states are required under the law to submit proposals — again, laden with Bidenomics red tape — no cable was expected to be laid before 2025, anyway. Remember those "shovel-ready jobs" from the last time Biden was in charge of doling out billions of other people's money?

[bigbob]

I’ll take Zip-Zero-Nada for $100 Gazillion,Alex.

[srmanuel]

With the availability of Starlink nearly everybody in a rural area could already get high speed internet making this government program even more insane than it already is

[Atilla_the_Hun]

These government dumbasses could start installing Starlink receivers by the end of this week for all 56 million in rural areas.

Here are the financials;

Budget amount $42,450,000,000
US rural population as of as per census.gov 56,000,000

Starlink receiver $ $499
Starlink cost per device/ year $1,680

1st year cost $2,179
2nd+ year cost $1,680

# of Starlink receivers that could be purchased based on budgeted amount 85,070,140 152%

# of Starlink devices and first year
100% paid based on budget for approx 20 million rural folks or 35%

# of Starlink devices and first and second year
100% paid based on budget for 11 million rural folks or 20%

[Mogger]

The article isn't quite accurate.

I live in a small rural town in northern NH.

A few months ago the town officials applied for a grant under the act and got it.

Even though they had a presentation from the feds and help with the paperwork, they neglected to fill out the forms for the areas outside of the village.

So we, in the village will have high speed (both upload and download) by December.

Those on the back roads won't.

All of the folks in the surrounding towns will have high speed internet no matter where they live as their bureaucrats did their job.

Contractors are stringing MANY miles of fiber right now.

While I am going to benefit from it, IMHO, it's nuts.

But you never know.

With the greater business activity allowed by high upload speeds, the tax money generated might eventually be greater than the cost.

[Dan Zachary]

Almost as if the mafia is running our government. Billions to install 8 EV chargers? Don't ask where all that money went. It would be a shame if you were to commit suicide by shooting yourself in the chest before hanging yourself....

Ex-Clinton Aide with Epstein Connection Dies in Strange 'Suicide,' link

[Bullish]

Yeah, and no raises for the military.

[Fresh Wind]

I guessed right. What do I win?

"Mostly, the $42.45B is just sitting there.

Yeah, right.

[ronnie raygun]

The Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, laundering and payoffs, this is how they get rich

[waredbird]

As a rural resident, I am on Starlink and it is really good but there has been some fed money trickle down that has been laying fiber in the area. I got fiber to the house two days ago. Not installed inside yet. I have to make the decision to switch which should be easy with the higher fiber speed and half the monthly cost. Ill surely switch but i feel guilty about abandoning Musk. Will keep the equipment ready for backup though.

[srmanuel]

For a lot of people Fiber will never be an option, the cost of laying the cable versus the number of potential subscribers that would sign up makes it economically unviable.

Starlink is the best option but Hughes Net and ViaSat are lesser products but better than any other high speed options for a lot of people.

I’ve always viewed fiber as a bait and switch deal, upfront it’s advertised as faster and cheaper, once you are hooked the price will go up substantially and the speeds will never match the advertised speed.

On the surface fiber would be a great choice, I just like the idea of satellite service versus a land based system.

[Cold_Red_Steel]

I have a coworker who got Starlink while he was living in his RV, waiting for his house to be built. He’s keeping it because he can take it anywhere. I looked at the cost and chose differently.

[Redleg Duke]

We live in a small town in southern New Hampshire. We got in on the Beta test of Starlink and it has been terrific.

We keep getting solicitations from our previous providers (Xfinity, et al) along with Fidium, which hasn’t been operational other than as vaporware. They can keep on wasting their money sending us crap. Starlink is the solution.

[Dilbert56]

We are on fiber (FIOS) and have been for four years now. Price ($49/month) has stayed flat because there is competition available. Speeds are generally higher than what we pay for (100 mbps). We are satisfied with it. Comcast did the grotesque price hike which led us to cut the cord and then dump them ASAP.

[CoastWatcher]

.
Actually this money has been earmarked as a DemonicRat election slush fund and will be used up in the next five months. Watch.

[Ex-Con777]

“Mostly, the $42.45B is just sitting there.”

The small town of There, Ukraine is a suburb of Kyiv. It is known for its large gated community that is the preferred domicile for government officials. It is famous for its boutique banks and laundromats. It is also a popular visiting spot for foreign dignitaries.

EC

[Vaduz]

Almost as if the mafia is running our government.

They sent their kids to universities for a reason no?.

Even Al Capone owned Chicago just think what they can do in D.C..

Biden has 3 big houses for a reason as many other democrats do.