Rural fiber internet expansion is at risk as Trump administration holds funds

is a news writer who covers the streaming wars, consumer tech, crypto, social media, and much more. Previously, she was a writer and editor at MUO. Fiber internet providers are worried they won’t see the funds promised under a Biden-era initiative that would bring reliable internet service to rural areas. Louisiana fiber internet provider Cajun Broadband was granted $33 million as part of the plan, but the “money isn’t flowing” and concerns are growing over whether the new administration will prioritize satellite internet services, like Elon Musk’s Starlink, according to a report from The Washington Post. The Biden administration’s Broadband Equity, Access, and Deployment (BEAD) program dedicated $42.45 billion to bolstering internet service in underserved areas, mostly through fiber broadband. However, BEAD director Evan Feinman left the Commerce Department last month. Trump-appointed Commerce Department Secretary Howard Lutnick plans to overhaul the program, citing “woke mandates, ... Read full article.