Biden Admin Reliant On Elon Musk’s Assistance For Internet Access Agenda After Denying Massive Bid From Starlink

President Joe Biden’s administration will rely on billionaire Elon Musk’s Starlink for its internet access agenda after the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) previously rejected a massive award for its parent company SpaceX, The Washington Post reported on Wednesday.

The FCC in December reaffirmed its rejection of an $885 million award for Starlink to provide fast broadband internet service to over 640,000 homes and businesses in rural areas, with Commissioner Brendan Carr alleging the decision was aligned with other examples of the Biden administration’s “harassment” of Musk’s companies in his dissenting opinion. Starlink is a satellite internet provider and it is anticipated to participate in the Biden administration’s $42 billion initiative for getting fast internet to all American households amid its struggles to affordably connect rural areas, officials told the Post.

The Biden administration’s Broadband Equity, Access and Deployment (BEAD) program will primarily rely on the utilization of fiber-optic cables, but Starlink could be necessary for rural locations where fiber is prohibitively expensive, National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) chief Alan Davidson told the Post.