According to Feinman, if Lutnick’s “one-size-fits-all cap” is low enough, satellite internet companies will always win out.

In Louisiana, for example, BEAD contracts will supply fiber coverage to 95% of the state, with wireless, cable and satellite picking up the remaining 5%. The Department of Commerce and Starlink ...

While it's not the fastest, satellite internet is the only internet connection type available in all 50 states, making it a top contender for rural households with limited internet options.

And any shift to having states cover more rural areas with satellite internet, such as Starlink, could saddle households with inferior service and higher costs in the long run, some providers said.

Last year, the FCC increased its minimum standard for broadband speeds for the first time in a decade. But many states are struggling to meet those standards.

Some congressmen have recently introduced legislation that could limit households and businesses in rural areas of our state to satellite internet service while other areas have access to reliable ...

That change will free up states to award more funds to satellite-internet providers such as Starlink, rather than mainly to companies that lay fiber-optic cables, to connect the millions of U.S ...