# "Public option" for internet.

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/public-option-for-internet/838499>\
**Category:** Great Debates\
**Created:** [August 11, 2019, 10:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/public-option-for-internet/838499 "2019-08-11T10:58:01Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 1\
**Showing post:** 57

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**Author:** ![Ravenman](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ravenman/32/2929_2.png) [@Ravenman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ravenman)\
**Post date:** [August 15, 2019, 10:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/public-option-for-internet/838499/57 "2019-08-15T10:47:04Z")

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> [@Smackie: Was I the first?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/smackie-was-i-the-first/113681/2):
>
> Satellite internet makes me laugh. It costs [$10,000/pound](https://www.nasa.gov/centers/marshall/news/background/facts/astp.html) to shoot something into space. The only reason Elon Musk can do this is because he has more money than common sense.

Actually, the recent launch of the first Starlink smallsats would have a per-pound launch cost of half of that figure, and possibly a third.

And when we are talking about rural broadband, the government grants to run cable to distant places has been averaging about $2,000 per house. That’s about $50 billion in expected infrastructure costs.

In comparison, SpaceX estimates (to be taken with big grain of salt) is $10 billion for 12,000 satellites. For worldwide coverage. Of course that’s an attractive value proposition! The question here isn’t cost, though, it’s technology. There are good questions here on what it’s going to take to get it to work.

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