The director of the $42 billion Broadband Equity, Access, and Deployment (BEAD) program has warned that rural America could be left behind if satellite-based alternatives are prioritized over fiber broadband.

Evan Feinman departed from his position at BEAD last Friday after failing to be reappointed.

His departure comes at a time when the BEAD program has faced scrutiny from the current Trump Administration.

Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick recently announced a “rigorous review” of the program, which has been criticized for its slow implementation.

He said at the time that the review intends to result in “ripping out the Biden Administration’s pointless requirements.”

BEAD, which was set up by the Biden Administration and confirmed by Congress in November 2021, has been implemented by the National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA).

The federal grant program was designed to fund projects dedicated to providing Internet infrastructure in unserved locations across the US and its territories.

So far, the program has yet to connect a single household to broadband.

Moving away from fiber

However, on the way out, Feinman has hit out at what he perceives to be a step away from "the clear direction laid out by Congress" by the new administration.

In particular, Feinman highlighted the focus on pushing low-Earth orbit (LEO) satellite coverage in the BEAD Program above other considerations.

In a farewell email to staff last week, as seen by Wireless Estimator, Feinman slammed the move away from prioritizing fiber.

"The new administration seems to want to make changes that ignore the clear direction laid out by Congress, reduce the number of American homes and businesses that get fiber connections, and increase the number that get satellite connections," wrote Feinman.

"The degree of that shift remains unknown, but regardless of size, it will be a disservice to rural and small-town America."

In his letter, he also noted that satellite broadband will deliver inferior Internet to fiber.

He didn't name SpaceX founder Elon Musk, but referred to him in his email to staff, warning that pandering to satellites will leave rural parts of the country worse off.

"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 Feinman.

The Financial Times reported this week that Feinman said Lutnick had told BEAD employees to favor the project’s use of satellite connectivity instead of fiber-optic cable. Feinman noted that Lutnick had singled out Musk’s provider, Starlink.

Musk is of course heading the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), established by President Donald Trump's administration as part of his campaign plans to significantly slash federal spending.

“Fiber-optic cable remains operable for decades and decades at extraordinarily low maintenance and operation costs, and offers speeds today that can meet all current needs and likely those of the future,” Feinman said. “Starlink simply can’t.”

Musk himself has previously called BEAD an “outrageous waste of taxpayer money."

Shovels should be in the ground

Three states, Louisiana, Delaware, and Nevada, have already received approval to get on with their broadband buildout, but have been delayed due to the National Institute of Standards and Technology review of BEAD.

Louisiana had hoped to commence deployment within the first 100 days of 2025.

“Shovels could already be in the ground in three states, and they could be in the ground in half the country by the summer without the proposed changes to project selection,” wrote Feinman.

The three states secured their approval before updates to the government’s BEAD tracking site ceased. The state of West Virginia is also currently awaiting final approvals.