What the Trump win could mean for the BEAD program

With Election Day in the rearview mirror, the U.S. is considering what a second Donald Trump administration means for the country. For the broadband industry, that means wondering what will happen with the $42.5 billion Broadband Equity, Access, and Deployment (BEAD) Program. The long and the short of it? The biggest influence on BEAD could come from outside the government. “The bottom line is Brendan Carr will not be the most important person for telecom policy” when it comes to BEAD, said New Street Research’s Blair Levin, referencing the likely future pick for Federal Communications Commission chairman. “That will be Elon Musk.” As Levin explained, Musk—who owns satellite broadband service Starlink—has a strong incentive to push for changes to BEAD policy, particularly the current government preference for fiber. After all, every penny spent on fiber is a penny put toward Starlink’s competition.