Starlink Receives $661 Million From BEAD

Revised guidance for the $42 billion Broadband Equity, Access, and Deployment (BEAD) program is already reshaping how broadband funds are allocated — and early data suggests that satellite broadband providers, particularly SpaceX’s Starlink, are among the biggest beneficiaries.

As states reassess and submit updated BEAD proposals under new federal guidance emphasizing cost efficiency, low-Earth orbit (LEO) satellite systems are playing a larger role than originally anticipated. That shift marks a meaningful departure from earlier expectations that fiber infrastructure would dominate nearly all funded deployments.

According to tracking data compiled by Connected Nation, Starlink is currently positioned to serve more locations under BEAD than any other provider. Of the nearly four million locations included in BEAD proposals analyzed to date, Starlink is slated to serve more than 470,000.

Close to $1 billion from the BEAD will go to SpaceX and Amazon’s Leo to help bring high-speed internet to underserved areas. Starlink has been awarded more than $661 million so far — more than any other satellite provider participating in the program. Its closest low-Earth orbit competitor, Amazon’s Project Kuiper, has received just over $300 million to serve a comparable number of locations.

These results appear to stem directly from revised BEAD guidance instructing states to prioritize more cost-efficient deployment options. For many rural and high-cost areas, LEO satellite service has emerged as a lower-cost alternative to fiber, particularly where construction expenses are high and timelines are long.

State-level plans illustrate how sharply priorities have shifted. In Louisiana, satellite coverage of eligible BEAD locations has increased several-fold under revised proposals. Nevada shows an even more dramatic change, with nearly one-third of eligible locations now slated for LEO satellite service — a significant increase from earlier plans.

Implications for Fiber, Satellite, and BEAD’s Long-Term Goals

The growing role of satellite broadband has reignited a familiar policy debate: whether BEAD should focus on delivering coverage as quickly and cheaply as possible, or whether it should prioritize long-term infrastructure capable of scaling with future demand.

Fiber advocates argue that large shifts toward satellite risk diverting funds away from networks designed to support decades of growth in bandwidth-intensive applications. Satellite supporters counter that LEO systems can deliver meaningful connectivity faster and at lower upfront cost, particularly in sparsely populated or geographically challenging areas.

For providers and state broadband offices, the revised guidance introduces both opportunity and uncertainty. Satellite operators stand to gain a larger share of BEAD funding, while fiber providers face increased competition for dollars and more pressure to justify costs. At the same time, ongoing political and legal scrutiny of the revised rules raises the possibility that allocations could shift again before projects are fully built.

Early BEAD data suggests that revised guidance has materially changed the program’s trajectory, elevating satellite broadband — and Starlink in particular — to a far more prominent role than originally envisioned. Whether this shift ultimately accelerates broadband deployment or complicates long-term infrastructure goals will depend on how states balance cost, performance, and durability as BEAD moves from planning into execution.

BEAD Policy Timeline

• 2021 — BEAD is authorized under the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, with an emphasis on future-proof broadband infrastructure and long-term capacity, widely interpreted as a fiber-first approach.
• 2022–2024 — States develop broadband plans, mapping, and procurement frameworks under those assumptions, prioritizing scalable infrastructure while delaying construction in favor of detailed planning and compliance.
• Mid-2025 — Revised federal guidance shifts BEAD implementation toward lower-cost deployment options and expands eligibility for satellite broadband, requiring states to revisit and revise proposals already underway.
• Late-2025 — Early allocation data shows satellite providers capturing a larger share of projected locations, signaling a material change in BEAD’s technology mix.
• Ongoing — Legal and procedural scrutiny, including findings that key policy changes may not have received required Congressional review, introduces new uncertainty over BEAD timelines, funding allocations, and long-term outcomes.