Broadband grants paused as critics allege favoritism toward Elon Musk’s Starlink
- Texas' Broadband Development Office temporarily paused all disbursements tied to billions of dollars in federal BEAD funding.
- The office told subgrantees the hold was effective Monday and would remain in place until further notice, without giving a reason.
- The pause followed accusations of favoritism toward certain companies, especially Elon Musk's Starlink, and prompted lawmakers to announce an audit.
- State lawmakers had been questioning how more than $3 billion in BEAD funds was awarded, including a rule change that treated low-Earth orbit satellite providers differently.
- Bryant Clayton, the broadband office director, said the change was directed by Gov. Greg Abbott's office and made days before the grant was awarded.
- The audit is underway, but no completion date has been set.
Texas has temporarily frozen all disbursements tied to its federal Broadband Equity, Access and Deployment program after criticism over how the money was awarded. The Texas Broadband Development Office told subgrantees that the hold took effect Monday and would continue until further notice.
The office did not explain why the payments were paused. The move followed allegations that the grant process favored certain companies, including Elon Musk's Starlink, and came as lawmakers moved ahead with an audit of the broadband office.
State officials and lawmakers have been reviewing how more than $3 billion in BEAD funding was distributed. During a June Senate committee hearing, concerns were raised about upfront payments and a rule change that treated low-Earth orbit satellite providers differently from other providers.
For markets, the immediate effect appears neutral overall, but the pause is potentially negative in the near term for companies tied to the BEAD awards, including satellite broadband providers and related contractors. The article reports no immediate market reaction. The audit is ongoing, with no set completion date.
因批评者指控偏袒埃隆·马斯克的 Starlink，宽带拨款被暂停
得克萨斯州已临时冻结与联邦“宽带公平、接入与部署”项目相关的全部拨款发放，原因是外界对资金分配方式提出批评。得州宽带发展办公室告知受资助方，这一暂停自周一生效，并将持续到另行通知。
该办公室没有说明为何暂停付款。此举发生在有关拨款过程偏向某些公司、尤其是埃隆·马斯克的 Starlink 的指控之后，州议员也因此推进对宽带办公室的审计。
州政府和议员一直在审查超过 30 亿美元 BEAD 资金的分配情况。6 月的一场参议院委员会听证会上，有人质疑预付款安排以及对近地轨道卫星服务提供商适用的不同规则。
就市场而言，短期影响总体偏中性，但对与 BEAD 授标相关的公司、包括卫星宽带提供商及相关承包商，潜在影响偏利空。报道没有提到即时市场反应。当前审计仍在进行，尚无完成时间。