$42 billion federal grant program opens door to Elon Musk’s Starlink

[TaylorSwift 162,352]

The Commerce Department has changed its rules in a way that could open the door for Starlink, Elon Musk’s satellite internet service, to become part of a federal $42 billion grant program to bring high-speed service to rural and poor areas of the United States.

The rules of the program — known as Broadband Equity, Access, and Deployment or BEAD — previously gave preference to fiber-optic service. That essentially shut out services like Starlink, a unit of Musk’s SpaceX company, which beams high-speed online access from its satellites in low-earth orbit to terminals on the ground.

The Commerce Department, which oversees the program, announced Wednesday that BEAD is now open to all forms of internet connectivity.

“The Department is ripping out the Biden Administration’s pointless requirements,” said a statement from Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick. “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.”

Whatever the argument for using Starlink satellite service instead of fiber-optics, the move would seem contrary to efforts by the Trump administration — plus those of the Department of Government Efficiency, which Musk heads — to cut government spending and halt federal grant programs already approved by Congress.

If Starlink does go on to receive contracts through BEAD, it could also raise new questions about conflicts of interest involving Musk, his many businesses that have made him the world’s richest person, and his new, prominent role in setting government policy.
source

[bpmMonkey 7,716]

Read BREAD (it’s equal parts German and slut for me) for a second and got excited, but this is a letdown 

also, this has been in the talks for a while now, right? 

[DopeEnigma 1,774]

 

I’m so surprised….

[bionic 50,111]

The Trump Administration making cuts everywhere except where funds flow to Elon

Makes u think!