Last week, the Connect Everyone Coalition (CEC) hosted a virtual fireside chat with Federal Communications Commission (FCC) Space Bureau Chief Jay Schwarz. During this conversation with CEC Executive Director Richard Cullen, Chief Schwarz discussed the important role of low Earth orbit (LEO) satellites and the potential for space-based broadband technologies to help finally and fully bridge the digital divide.

The conversation with Chief Schwarz provided timely insights into the growing space economy, the new developments enhancing connectivity and the FCC’s policies championing American innovation in space.

Schwarz spoke firsthand to the vital role that LEO satellite broadband already plays in connecting communities across the country, especially those in underserved, rural or hard to reach areas:

“[My family] moved to the farm that we live on right now in 2019, and when we moved there, we had very, very limited fixed wireless access from a very small provider. It did not work very well. And then we experienced COVID. And COVID did not go well for that situation. I actually would drive and sit in my truck outside of the local library and use the Wi-Fi. And so, I would do work calls there and sometimes spend hours a day… And then eventually we did get a LEO service, which was really a game changer. And we went from inability to have streaming service in the evening, or inability to do a Teams call after probably 6:00 at night – because the networks otherwise just got overloaded, and you couldn’t use them – to being in a situation where we never had to think about the internet again.”

Schwarz discussed the growing competition and additional consumer options that LEO satellites are injecting into broadband markets:

“We always thought that for certain parts of the country, you were only going to ever have one [internet] option… it would be a fiber provider and that we would have to subsidize it as a country for it to exist. And up until just the last few years, that was the best we could ever hope for. What’s now happening is, you’re getting a lot of private investment through LEOs, also through other technologies, like fixed wireless and so forth. We’re seeing rural areas, potentially having two, three, four broadband competitor options, which is fantastic, and something that I don’t think anyone even predicted certainly a decade ago.”  

Chief Schwarz also emphasized the economic benefits of LEO satellites, and the value they bring to helping Americans thrive in everyday life:

“I’m also an economist, and so often I think about these [issues] in terms of growth, and in terms of the imperative for us to grow as a country. And so, it’s really key from that perspective, and all of the things that you can do with it. Oxford Economics, just a day or two ago, put out a really good report that goes through a bunch of the different ways that this sort of connectivity can help communities, help rural areas, and so forth…“I think that these technologies can be really exciting from this lifestyle choice point of view… we can talk about growth as a numbers matter, but I think just the way this can open up option sets for people to design the lives that they want to design is a really exciting feature that can enrich all of our lives. And ultimately, that leads to things like economic growth.”

“If we’re talking about rural areas – and because I live in a rural area maybe I think about this a little bit more – I talk about a “distance tax” … There’s an opportunity cost of that distance … And high-quality LEO broadband – which I’ve personally experienced, as I shared – allows you to reduce a lot of that distance tax. And maybe you can accept that job that you wouldn’t have ever been able to. Maybe you can maintain relationships in a different way, or entertainment and so forth…

[W]hat we’re actually talking about is a lot of spillover effects and economic benefits. Some of it is actual dollars and cents. Some of it is lifestyle benefits that overflow and spill over from having that connectivity. So, one of the reasons I’m so excited about what satellite is doing in this Space Industrial Revolution [is] the possibility of changing how distance can penalize certain lifestyles… The value of that is far above the $8 billion [direct economic impact of the LEO industry].”

The CEC applauds Chief Schwarz and the FCC for their continued commitment to helping connect everyone, everywhere. By adopting policies that promote space innovation, modernize outdated regulations and accelerate access to LEO satellite broadband, the FCC will play a key role in bolstering economic prosperity and bridging the digital divide for to individuals, families and communities across the nation.

Watch the full webinar HERE.

Learn more about the Connect Everyone Coalition HERE.