Commerce Secretary’s Proposal to Prioritize Satellite Over Fiber Internet Would ‘Strand’ Rural Communities, Experts Say

In early March, U.S. Secretary of Commerce Howard Lutnick proposed changes to a federal broadband connectivity program that would favor Low Earth Orbit satellite connectivity, like Starlink, over fiber optic, a faster and more reliable form of internet access. Critics say Secretary Lutnick’s proposal to prioritize LEO will worsen the digital divide by abandoning rural communities without the long term economic benefits of fiber optic infrastructure. Broadband Equity, Access, and Deployment, or BEAD, is a $42 billion grant program created by the Biden administration under the Infrastructure, Investments, and Jobs Act of 2021. BEAD aims to connect 25 million Americans with high speed internet in all 56 states and territories. Lutnick’s proposed changes would exacerbate the digital divide between rural and urban residents, according to the Benton Institute’s Broadband & Society Director of Policy Engagement Drew Garner. Garner said that fiber optic infrastructure is faster, more reliable, and a larger driver of economic growth compared to satellite internet technology.