D.C. Memo: Starlink Not Gunning for Cable ISPs - Analyst Moffett Says

◾ Nexstar Asks Viewers for Dereg Help ◾ Maine Bill Would Restore Chevron Deference ◾ May: Stop Funding NPR/PBS ◾ Gomez Pays Own Way to NAB Show ◾ PK: Keep BEAD Fiber-First ◾ FCC: Shut Down ATSC 1.0?

Starlink: Charter CEO Christopher Winfrey makes this point often: Starlink is the go-to technology in deeply rural areas too expensive to serve with fiber. MoffettNathanson Senior Managing Director Craig Moffett agrees (though he did not mention Winfrey by name.). “We believe that Starlink is by far the best solution for sparse rural markets, as well as for the maritime and aeronautics markets. But we remain somewhat skeptical that Starlink will play a significant competitive role in markets reached by terrestrial fiber or HFC (cable) broadband, given its costly receiving equipment, more limited speeds, and relatively high cost of service,” Moffett said yesterday in a lengthy report on the broadband market. Moffett made this point while acknowledging that Starlink is “dramatically growing capacity,” which will hurt traditional satellite Internet providers more that terrestrial ISPs. “The vast majority of Starlink’s subscribers appear to have come from legacy geosynchronous (GEO) satellite broadband providers, primarily Viasat and EchoStar, in a one-for-one substitution for what is inarguably a better technology,” Moffett said.