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Musk's Starlink stands to benefit from changes to a broadband equity program

Another day, another move from the Trump administration that will benefit Elon Musk — shocking. The US Department of Commerce has announced an overhaul of 2021&#39;s Broadband Equity, Access, and Deployment (BEAD) program and its $42.5 billion that will funnel work to Musk&#39;s Starlink. <br /> The BEAD program was originally designed to give states funding for fiber-optic cable installation, increase Wi-Fi networks and free broadband internet access for some individuals. Fiber-optic broadband provides the fastest internet speeds, but the new mandate will get rid of BEAD&#39;s preference for it. <br /> "The Department is ripping out the Biden Administration’s pointless requirements," said US Secretary of Commerce Howard Lutnick in a statement. "It is revamping the BEAD program to take a tech-neutral approach that is rigorously driven by outcomes, so states can provide internet access for the lowest cost." <br /> The writing on the wall is clear: Musk, the richest person in the world, leader of a department to reduce government waste (read: cut many critical jobs and programs) and an unelected right hand to what can best be described as an authoritarian government, is about to make even more money.<br /> Under the Biden administration in 2023, Starlink received a rejection from the Federal Communications Commission for nearly $900 million in subsidies. The FCC stated that Starlink&#39;s application, which was part of the Rural Digital Opportunity Fund program, failed to meet the program&#39;s requirements. This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/big-tech/musks-starlink-stands-to-benefit-from-changes-to-a-broadband-equity-program-132521582.html?src=rss