Viasat intends to toss its hat into the ring for the Broadband Equity, Access, and Deployment (BEAD) program following the recent launch of a new high-capacity satellite that will enable the company to deliver speeds in excess of 100 Mbit/s nationwide.

Calling the launch of its first ViaSat-3 satellite a "game-changer" for states poised to bring in BEAD dollars, Viasat said it intends to concentrate its push for funding on "Extremely High-Cost" areas that are expensive to reach with fiber.

Figure 1: The first ViaSat-3 satellite, focused on the Americas, is expected to enter service in mid-2023.
(Source: Viasat, rendering of a ViaSat-3 satellite in geosynchronous orbit)

"Viasat has been in touch with Federal and State Level officials concerning applying for BEAD funding," a Viasat official told Light Reading in an emailed response to questions. "Given ViaSat-3's 100 Mbps nationwide capabilities, and its ability to put capacity where it is needed the most, we are well situated to quickly deploy reliable broadband service to BEAD's Extremely High-Cost areas. This is a game-changer for the States' ability to economically connect the households that have been left behind."

ViaSat-3, a geosynchronous (GEO) satellite packed with about 1 Tbit/s of capacity, was lofted into orbit the evening of April 30 aboard a SpaceX Falcon Heavy rocket. Viasat expects the satellite to complete its journey to its final orbital location (89.9 degrees west longitude) in less than three weeks and begin service to the Americas region in mid-2023.

That should ensure the satellite is operational by the time the NTIA announces its state-by-state BEAD funding allocations, which is expected by June 30.

Viasat said the new satellite will enable the company to offer speeds of 100 Mbit/s downstream nationwide, with plans underway to offer speeds up to 150 Mbit/s in some markets. Some plans for US businesses will offer upload speeds of up to 20 Mbit/s in some markets.

Update: Viasat provided this statement regarding the possible speeds it could offer through the BEAD program: "Viasat is prepared to offer 100 Mbps download and 20 Mbps upload speeds in BEAD's Extremely High-Cost areas where it is selected as a service provider."

Among the potential concerns with GEO-based satellite broadband architectures are high latencies that don't provide strong support for certain interactive applications such as online gaming.

High-cost concerns

The BEAD program clearly prioritizes fiber, but its "Extremely High Cost Per Location Threshold," to be set by the states, could open the door to other access technologies, including satellite broadband and fixed wireless. But that piece of the program is an area of concern for fiber advocates such as the Fiber Broadband Association, which wants those levels to be set as high as possible.

Among recent studies, Wireless 20/20 LLC said its "WiROI" platform for analyzing business cases for broadband networks, which focuses on the number of miles needed to connect unserved locations in a given county, found that BEAD funds may come up short to bridge the digital divide using fiber-to-the-premises (FTTP) networks.

Another study from Tarana Wireless suggested that a full-fiber approach to BEAD would cost in the neighborhood of $200 billion.

With a focus on the Americas, ViaSat-3 is the first of three satellites that Viasat will launch in the coming months to enable it to provide global coverage.

The launch of the ViaSat-3 aimed at Europe, the Middle East and Africa is on track for late summer 2023, while another set to provide coverage in the Asia-Pacific region is expected to launch roughly a year from now, a company official said.

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— Jeff Baumgartner, Senior Editor, Light Reading