Broadband Fiber Broadband chief slams Starlink as a ‘cop out’ for BEAD

In a recent panel, Gary Bolton, CEO of the Fiber Broadband Association (FBA), spoke candidly about the idea of SpaceX getting Broadband Equity, Access and Deployment (BEAD) funds. Bolton said he thought using federal funding for low-earth-orbit (LEO) satellite broadband coverage was “absurd.” He said SpaceX’s top boss Elon Musk already has his roadmap set for deploying Starlink satellites. He added that it would be a big “cop out” if the BEAD program left the most difficult-to-reach locations to satellite broadband. The U.S. government managed to reach every rural location with electricity in the 1930s—so surely it can now reach those locations with fiber broadband, Bolton said.