So You Want BEAD to Be Tech Neutral?

America’s $42.5 billion investment in universal broadband internet access may be on track for a major overhaul. Three years into its meticulous planning and implementation process, and with significant progress already made, the Broadband Equity, Access, and Deployment program may pivot from prioritizing fiber to satellite connectivity. Secretary of Commerce Howard Lutnick is reportedly heeding Republican clarion calls for “tech neutrality” and planning to encourage states to seek the “lowest cost” option when awarding contracts under the federal government’s Internet for All program. This would reverse the Biden administration’s “fiber first” policy and likely redirect billions in funding from fiber builds to the satellite internet service sold by Starlink, a subsidiary of Elon Musk’s SpaceX. But what does “tech neutrality” actually mean for BEAD and its goal of universal broadband?