US government Starlink usage is on the rise

Low-earth orbit satellite is shaping up as a prominent player in the terrestrial broadband market, including the realm of government connectivity, said Don Parente, MetTel VP of Public Sector Sales. MetTel, one of a handful of authorized Starlink resellers for government customers, recently deployed LEO satellite alongside SD-WAN and zero trust for the U.S. General Service Administration as part of an Enterprise Infrastructure Solutions contract. “If we were talking about Starlink five years ago, we would probably be talking about a bunch of RV owners putting it on the roof of their campers,” Parente told Fierce. “Today we are seeing agencies use Starlink as their primary access network.” In GSA’s case, it has a global footprint of 800 sites, some of which are in “really remote locations,” he said. As agencies like USDA relocate from DC and expand their footprints, perhaps more will follow suit and pick up Starlink.