Trump administration delays rural broadband programs 90 days

Republicans have not received many opportunities to criticize the Broadband Equity, Access and Deployment (BEAD) program to unfold slowly over the past few years. And now they’re adding another 90 days delay.

In a notification sent to the state’s broadband office today, the National Communications and Information Agency (NTIA) gave the state a blanket 90-day extension Submit a final proposal for bead money. The reasons mentioned in the notification are to “improve efficiency, take a more technology-neutral approach, reduce unnecessary deficits, and streamline deployment.”

Here, “technology neutrality” is the key phrase. Beads were written to prioritize fiber networks, but the rules are expected to be changed to prioritize satellite internet.

The only satellite internet provider currently qualifies for is Elon Musk’s StarLink.

“By every look, it’s about shifting money to Starlink,” Drew Garner, director of policy at the Benton Institute for Broadband Society, told CNET.

The state has been preparing since Trump took office Major changes to beadspassed as part of the 2021 Infrastructure Investment and Employment Act. Starlink is expected to earn as much as $2 billion under Lutnick’s new rules. Published in March by the Wall Street Journal.

Brian Allenby, senior director of the Maine Connectivity Department, said his office has been in a retention pattern since Lutnick informed of the immediate changes to the program.

“We’re ready to go. The ISPs are obviously ready. We’re just waiting a moment for guidance on that program,” Allenby told CNET.

Beyond the four-year process of beads, the fiber has always been North Star. This is the fastest and most future profile technology, but it is more expensive to install than a satellite, especially in very remote areas. So technologies like Starlink are supposed to fill the gap as “alternative technologies” in areas where other providers have not bid for providing services that meet Bead’s speed and latency requirements.

It is worth pointing out that Starlink has not proven that these requirements can meet the very requirements. This is likely to change due to future changes to Bead’s rules. Latest Data from Ookla Starlink’s speed is around 79Mbps, indicating it is well below the 100Mbps required by Bead. (Disclosure: Ookla is owned by the same parent company as CNET and Ziff Davis.)

Until recently, it came out of the frenzy that mainly feeds Starlinks to the beads. Musk I said in x In June, the beads “a outrageous waste of taxpayer money and have completely failed to serve those in need.”

The broadband expert I spoke to said it was ironic that the reason given for the 90-day delay was to speed up the process.

“I can’t imagine anything less streamlined than a bureaucratic 90-day delay. In a state, there’s basically nothing to do other than waiting to hear about the new rules the state has to adapt,” Garner said.