Commerce Department changes broadband policies benefiting Starlink up to $20B
Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick overhauled the $42.5B BEAD broadband program to adopt “tech-neutral approach” allowing satellite providers like Starlink to receive $10-20B instead of expected $4.1B, while directing staff to “increase satellite usage regardless of other considerations” and specifically recommending Elon Musk’s Starlink to rural broadband leaders.
Key Actors
Sources (4)
- Statement from U.S. Secretary of Commerce Howard Lutnick on the BEAD Program (2025-03-01)
- Commerce to Overhaul 'Internet for All' Plan, Expanding Starlink Funding Prospects (2025-03-01)
- U.S. Commerce Secretary Tells Rural Broadband Leaders to Prioritize Starlink (2025-03-01)
- Commerce Secretary's Proposal to Prioritize Satellite Over Fiber Internet Would 'Strand' Rural Communities, Experts Say (2025-03-26)
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