BEAD map shows large portions of Marathon County tied to Starlink; county pauses payments to Bug Tussle as negotiations continue

Supervisor Robinson, chair of the county broadband task force, told the committee that the revised federal/state BEAD allocations appear to assign a large portion of Marathon County to Starlink/SpaceX service while fiber and fixed-wireless awards cover other areas. Robinson recounted that the county had earlier endorsed certain fiber providers but that the federal NTIA and the state Public Service Commission revised the process and removed some affordability and technology-preference rules.

Robinson said the county's snapshot is subject to change, that awards are part of a four-year buildout, and that lawsuits have been filed (including challenges involving SpaceX and fiber providers). He expressed a preference for fiber as a longer-term, more future-proof solution and noted concerns about satellite reliability and the impact of high demand driven by new technologies. Robinson also reported ongoing contract concerns with a provider (referred to in the transcript as Bug Tussle) on the Southern Loop; the county has paused payments to preserve leverage while resolving the issue.

Committee members discussed the limited role the county can play given state and federal control of BEAD funding and recommended discontinuing the county broadband task force because most policy and funding decisions will be decided at higher levels. Robinson emphasized continued local monitoring and negotiation regarding the Bug Tussle contract and the county's Southern Loop obligations.

No formal vote to terminate the task force was recorded at the meeting; the recommendation was discussed as policy guidance.