Broadband grants paused as critics allege favoritism toward Elon Musk’s Starlink
- The Texas Broadband Development Office has placed a temporary hold on disbursements of federal funds related to the Broadband Equity, Access and Deployment program.
- The hold follows accusations of favoritism towards certain companies, particularly Elon Musk's Starlink, prompting lawmakers to announce an audit.
- The hold was effective as of Monday and will remain until further notice, with no specific reason given for the pause.
- Concerns have been raised about how over $3 billion in BEAD funding was allocated, particularly regarding upfront disbursements to low-Earth orbit satellite providers.
- Lawmakers are calling for more transparency in the grant award process and an audit of the broadband office.
The Texas Broadband Development Office has placed a temporary hold on all disbursements of billions of dollars in federal funds related to the Broadband Equity, Access and Deployment program, or BEAD. This hold comes after the office was accused of favoritism towards certain companies, specifically Elon Musk’s Starlink, leading to lawmakers announcing an audit.
The hold was effective as of Monday and will be in place until further notice. The office did not provide a reason for the pause and did not respond to inquiries in time for publication. In an email to subgrantees, the office stated that no further action is required at this time and that additional guidance will be provided as it becomes available.
Concerns regarding the allocation of more than $3 billion in BEAD funding have been raised by lawmakers, particularly about the upfront disbursement rules for low-Earth orbit satellite providers. These rules were reportedly changed just days before the grant awards, following a directive from Governor Greg Abbott's office. Lawmakers are now calling for more transparency in the grant award process.
An audit of the state’s broadband office is currently underway, although there is no clear timeline for its completion. The legislature is expected to take action during the next session, which begins in January.
宽带拨款暂停，批评者指责对埃隆·马斯克的Starlink偏袒
德克萨斯州宽带发展办公室已暂时暂停与宽带公平、接入和部署计划（BEAD）相关的数十亿美元联邦资金的拨款。此举是在该办公室被指控对某些公司，特别是埃隆·马斯克的Starlink，表现出偏袒后，立法者宣布进行审计。
暂停自周一生效，并将持续到另行通知。该办公室未提供暂停的具体原因，也未及时回应媒体的询问。在发给子拨款者的电子邮件中，该办公室表示，目前不需要采取进一步行动，后续将提供更多指导。
立法者对超过30亿美元的BEAD资金分配提出了担忧，特别是关于低地球轨道卫星提供商的预付款规则。这些规则据称是在拨款授予前几天，根据州长格雷格·阿博特办公室的指令进行了更改。立法者现在呼吁提高拨款过程的透明度。
目前，州宽带办公室的审计正在进行中，但尚无明确的完成时间表。立法机构预计将在明年1月开始的下一个会议期间采取行动。