The program may scrap Biden’s fiber preference, opening the door for Starlink and fixed wireless providers

In a sudden policy shift, the Trump administration has thrown a wrench into the nation’s largest broadband expansion effort, forcing states to overhaul plans to distribute $42 billion in federal funding aimed at closing the digital divide.

Secretary of Commerce Howard Lutnick has put the Broadband Equity, Access, and Deployment (BEAD) program on pause, unveiling sweeping new rules last week that require states to rethink how they allocate grants to Internet service providers. The move has left state officials scrambling to adapt, erasing months – sometimes years – of preparation.

“We had been in position to be making awards this month, but for [the Trump administration’s] deliberations and program changes, so it’s pretty unfortunate,” Andrew Butcher, president of the Maine Connectivity Authority (MCA) told Ars Technica. The MCA, established by a 2021 state law, leads Maine’s BEAD planning and other broadband initiatives.