Outgoing Broadband Chief Issues Stark Warning Against Elon Musk

An outgoing Commerce Department official in charge of expanding rural broadband authored an email to colleagues warning that the Trump administration is preparing to further enrich billionaire Elon Musk by diverting money for rural broadband to Musk’s satellite internet company.

“Stranding all or part of rural America with worse internet so that we can make the world’s richest man even richer is yet another in a long line of betrayals by Washington,” wrote Evan Feinman, director of the Broadband Equity, Access, and Deployment (BEAD) Program, in an email to colleagues obtained by Politico. BEAD is a $42.5 billion program created by the 2021 Bipartisan Infrastructure Law.

Feinman added that he is “disappointed not to be able to see this project through.” The circumstances of Feinman’s exit are not yet clear. He urged that the administration should “NOT change [BEAD] to benefit technology that delivers slower speeds at higher costs to the household paying the bill.”

Musk is part of Trump’s administration as the leader of the so-called Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), although he sometimes appears also to be occupying the role of co-president. He has so far used his immense (and unelected) power to tear down regulators that oversee his business interests and force the government to contract with his companies, including ordering Federal Aviation Administration staff to find tens of millions of dollars to fund a deal with Starlink.

Broadband in rural areas is important to give those who live in less populated areas access to the same opportunities available in urban areas — remote jobs, telemedicine appointments, online education, communication abilities for first responders and emergency services, and sources of entertainment. Rural broadband also allows small businesses to grow and brings investment from larger corporations.

Making rural Americans rely on Starlink for internet access leaves Musk with the power to shut off services at will. Weeks ago, Reuters reported that the U.S. threatened Ukraine, saying it would cut off its access to Starlink, a key asset to organizing its military operations in the war against Russia’s invasion. Musk has publicly denied that report.

Feinman encouraged people to speak up to their legislators and the White House against using Starlink for rural internet services.

“Reach out to your congressional delegation and reach out to the Trump Administration and tell them to strip out the needless requirements, but not to strip away from states the flexibility to get the best connections for their people,” he wrote.