Flip News https://flipnews.co.uk/ Flip News covers rural broadband buildouts: grant awards, county fiber projects, satellite internet, and what your options are until fiber arrives. en-GB Thu, 17 Sep 2026 20:49:25 GMT BDUK's latest figures: 1.46 million premises now upgraded under public gigabit programmes https://flipnews.co.uk/uk/bduk-q2-2026-gigabit-progress-report/ https://flipnews.co.uk/uk/bduk-q2-2026-gigabit-progress-report/ Thu, 17 Sep 2026 12:00:00 GMT BDUK's Q2 2026 report shows 46,300 more premises got gigabit-capable broadband from public subsidy this spring — 90% of them rural, led by North Yorkshire. Tom Ellery United Kingdom BDUK Project Gigabit rural broadband ISPreview GoFibre pushes its £105m Project Gigabit build into six more North East villages https://flipnews.co.uk/uk/gofibre-north-east-scotland-build-update/ https://flipnews.co.uk/uk/gofibre-north-east-scotland-build-update/ Thu, 17 Sep 2026 12:00:00 GMT Work is now underway in St Fergus, Inchmarlo, Collieston and three more Aberdeenshire villages — bringing GoFibre's £105m subsidised build to more rural doors. Tom Ellery United Kingdom Project Gigabit GoFibre Scotland full fibre ISPreview New telecoms minister promises 99% gigabit coverage by 2032 in first speech https://flipnews.co.uk/uk/connected-britain-minister-first-speech/ https://flipnews.co.uk/uk/connected-britain-minister-first-speech/ Tue, 15 Sep 2026 12:00:00 GMT Ian Murray's first speech as telecoms minister recommitted the government to 99% gigabit coverage by 2032 — and ordered Ofcom to review the broadband safety net. Tom Ellery United Kingdom Project Gigabit BDUK Ofcom government GOV.UK Paul Bunyan nears finish line on 1,800-location fiber build in central Aitkin County https://flipnews.co.uk/buildouts/paul-bunyan-aitkin-county-fiber-nearing-completion/ https://flipnews.co.uk/buildouts/paul-bunyan-aitkin-county-fiber-nearing-completion/ Tue, 15 Sep 2026 12:00:00 GMT Paul Bunyan Communications says construction is nearly done on its all-fiber expansion in central Aitkin County, Minnesota — Palisade is live, McGregor is splicing, but permit delays push 600 locations to 2027. James Calloway Minnesota Aitkin County Paul Bunyan Communications fiber GigaZone Blandin on Broadband SpaceX's Starship to try first orbital flight on September 22 — carrying the first V3 Starlinks into service https://flipnews.co.uk/satellite/starship-flight-14-v3-starlink/ https://flipnews.co.uk/satellite/starship-flight-14-v3-starlink/ Tue, 15 Sep 2026 12:00:00 GMT SpaceX announced its 14th Starship test flight will attempt orbit for the first time on September 22 — deploying 26 next-gen V3 Starlink satellites built for 10x downlink capacity. Priya Raman Starlink SpaceX Starship V3 TechCrunch AT&T adds Amazon Leo satellite broadband to its enterprise lineup — a second Starlink rival arrives https://flipnews.co.uk/satellite/att-amazon-leo-enterprise/ https://flipnews.co.uk/satellite/att-amazon-leo-enterprise/ Mon, 14 Sep 2026 12:00:00 GMT AT&T reached an agreement to offer Amazon Leo satellite broadband to business customers nationwide — the first US carrier to bundle Leo with fiber and 5G. Priya Raman Amazon Leo Kuiper AT&T enterprise Broadband Breakfast NTIA opens a second BEAD round: states can spend leftover billions on missed locations https://flipnews.co.uk/state-grants/ntia-bead-supplemental-round-unspent-billions/ https://flipnews.co.uk/state-grants/ntia-bead-supplemental-round-unspent-billions/ Mon, 14 Sep 2026 12:00:00 GMT On 3 September 2026, NTIA released its Supplemental Deployment Policy Notice, letting states use leftover BEAD money to connect locations missed in the first round of awards. Sarah Whitfield BEAD NTIA Arielle Roth non-deployment funds policy Broadband Communities The week in rural broadband: a new telecoms minister, Starlink on the farm, and Cambium in administration (Sep 7–13) https://flipnews.co.uk/roundup/week-of-september-7-2026/ https://flipnews.co.uk/roundup/week-of-september-7-2026/ Sun, 13 Sep 2026 12:00:00 GMT The UK's new telecoms minister laid out his broadband vision, Lincolnshire tested Starlink on council farms, and Cambium Networks filed for administration — this week's 6 stories. John Alon roundup UK Project Gigabit satellite West Virginia ISPReview West Virginia backs $100M+ Armstrong fiber push for 10,000 rural homes and businesses https://flipnews.co.uk/state-grants/west-virginia-armstrong-100m-fiber-expansion/ https://flipnews.co.uk/state-grants/west-virginia-armstrong-100m-fiber-expansion/ Thu, 10 Sep 2026 12:00:00 GMT Governor Patrick Morrisey announced a $100M-plus fiber expansion with Armstrong that will reach 5,000 unserved locations and support service for about 10,000 rural West Virginia homes and businesses. Sarah Whitfield West Virginia Armstrong BEAD Governor Patrick Morrisey grant awards Governor of West Virginia Indiana electric co-op wins $13.2M BEAD grant for fiber across four counties https://flipnews.co.uk/state-grants/paulding-putnam-coop-132m-bead-indiana/ https://flipnews.co.uk/state-grants/paulding-putnam-coop-132m-bead-indiana/ Wed, 09 Sep 2026 12:00:00 GMT Paulding Putnam Electric Cooperative secured $13.2 million in BEAD funding from the Indiana Broadband Office, matched by $10.3 million of its own money, to bring fiber to unserved homes in four northeast Indiana counties. Sarah Whitfield Indiana BEAD electric cooperative Paulding Putnam grant awards Community Networks FCC tees up September 30 vote on unlocking satellite spectrum for rural broadband https://flipnews.co.uk/policy/fcc-satellite-spectrum-sept-2026/ https://flipnews.co.uk/policy/fcc-satellite-spectrum-sept-2026/ Tue, 08 Sep 2026 12:00:00 GMT The FCC will vote September 30 on opening more than 1,000 MHz of spectrum in the 12.7 and 42 GHz bands for satellite broadband — with thousands more megahertz up for debate. Sarah Whitfield FCC satellite spectrum Starlink Amazon Leo Benton Institute for Broadband & Society 80 Starlink launches in 2026: SpaceX's weekend Vandenberg flight keeps the capacity pipeline moving https://flipnews.co.uk/satellite/starlink-80th-mission-2026/ https://flipnews.co.uk/satellite/starlink-80th-mission-2026/ Sun, 06 Sep 2026 12:00:00 GMT A Falcon 9 lifted 27 Starlink satellites from Vandenberg on September 6 — the 80th Starlink mission of 2026 — as SpaceX shifts all Florida Starlink flights to Starship. Priya Raman Starlink SpaceX launches Vandenberg Spaceflight Now Comcast finishes Eastern Ohio rural build: 2,300 unserved homes and businesses now live https://flipnews.co.uk/buildouts/comcast-eastern-ohio-expansion-complete-2300/ https://flipnews.co.uk/buildouts/comcast-eastern-ohio-expansion-complete-2300/ Thu, 27 Aug 2026 12:00:00 GMT Comcast completed a fiber-powered expansion bringing Xfinity and Comcast Business to more than 2,300 previously unserved rural locations across five Eastern Ohio counties, with support from BroadbandOhio. James Calloway Ohio Comcast fiber now live construction complete Comcast via Business Wire SpaceX tells the FCC rural subsidies have 'outlived their purpose' — and Starlink makes them obsolete https://flipnews.co.uk/policy/spacex-urges-fcc-sunset-high-cost/ https://flipnews.co.uk/policy/spacex-urges-fcc-sunset-high-cost/ Thu, 06 Aug 2026 12:00:00 GMT SpaceX has asked the FCC to 'wind down and sunset' its $4.5-billion-a-year High-Cost program, arguing satellite broadband now covers rural America. Reply comments are due September 3. James Calloway FCC Starlink USF High-Cost rural subsidies Light Reading