BEAD

Trump Administration's BEAD Overhaul Aided SpaceX: Levin

Delaying funding allowed the company more time to scoop up rural subscribers, he said

Jake Neenan

Jake Neenan

— 4 min read
Trump Administration's BEAD Overhaul Aided SpaceX: Levin
Photo of SpaceX CEO Elon Musk surrounded by Apple CEO Tim Cook, left, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, center, and Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, right, at a welcome ceremony for President Donald Trump at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing on May 14, 2026, by Maxim Shemetov/AP

WASHINGTON, Sept. 23, 2026 – Satellite broadband provider SpaceX benefited from changes to a $42.45 billion grant program that made it easier for the company to compete for funding.

But more than additional funding, the provider received a boon in the form of more time to scoop up rural broadband subscribers before subsidized competition arrived, according to longtime telecom industry analyst Blair Levin.

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