Financial Times

The UK is on the road to having a truly competitive broadband market within six years as other providers dilute the influence of its largest player, the country’s telecommunications regulator has indicated.

As Starlink continues its rapid expansion around the globe, governments across the Pacific are responding with a mix of enthusiasm and caution to Elon Musk’s satellite internet provider. While many welcome the service for its ability to bring reliable, high-speed connections to some of the most remote places on Earth, the arrival of the global tech giant is also raising concerns over regulatory oversight, infrastructure investment risks and data security.

Donald Trump’s commerce secretary touted Elon Musk’s Starlink to federal officials in charge of a $42 billion rural broadband programme, raising new questions about the billionaire White House adviser’s conflicts of interest. In a private meeting in the Herbert Hoover building near the White House, Secretary Howard Lutnick told civil servants at the Broadband Equity, Access, and Deployment (BEAD) programme to increase the project’s use of satellite connectivity — over fibre-optic cable — and singled out Musk’s provider, Starlink.