they want entire countries to adopt shitty satellite internet instead of actual fiber-optic and server infrastructure?
The U.S. has a strategic interest in countering Chinese internet providers
Yeah, to control and spy on even more of the internet than it already does (almost all of it). This stuff is so revealing in how it’s obviously largely about their ability to keep spying.
There are Chinese internet providers outside of China? Don’t threaten me with a good time.
I’d say it’s also to be able to deliver their propaganda uncensored. If your people rely on satellite dishes from a company located in the US they can give you the finger if your courts tell them to take down or block links to atrocity propaganda. They can ignore legal requests to unmask users in your country violating the laws by spreading atrocity propaganda and color revolution rhetoric. Whereas if it’s local you can arrest people and send in technical experts to force the issue of blocking something or unmasking a person.
It’s a question of sovereignty.