Policyband's Top 10 Predictions for 2026
No 1: Elon Musk Sues to Block Billions in BEAD Funds Going to Fiber, FWA Overbuilders
No 1: Elon Musk Sues to Block Billions in BEAD Funds Going to Fiber, FWA Overbuilders
1️⃣ Elon Musk will file massive takings case to stop BEAD funding of Starlink’s terrestrial fiber and fixed wireless overbuilders.
2️⃣ Charter will add more pay-TV subscribers than broadband subscribers in 2026. (More after paywall.)

The ambitious undertaking is supported by a $20 million grant awarded under the 2021 Tribal Broadband Connectivity Program.
Satellite companies want easier access, while carriers say that could upend licenses they purchased.
The agency tapped Tricia J. Paoletta and Matthew Plaster as senior advisors
The fire chiefs voiced strong support in May 2025 for NextNav’s new technology, before shifting gears just last month.
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