293
submitted 2 days ago* (last edited 2 days ago) by [email protected] to c/[email protected]

Summary

Senate Democrats accused the Trump administration of stalling $42 billion in broadband grants and redirecting funds toward Elon Musk’s Starlink by overturning Biden-era rules favoring fiber networks.

Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick’s “tech-neutral” policy prioritizes cost over quality, potentially sidelining more reliable fiber infrastructure.

A May 30 letter warned delays could push projects back two years.

Trump also scrapped a separate $2.75 billion Digital Equity program, calling it “racist and illegal.” Critics say the moves undermine broadband expansion in rural and underserved communities.

top 19 comments
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[-] [email protected] 3 points 1 day ago

I wonder what their recent hissy fit will do to this grant

[-] [email protected] 45 points 2 days ago

This administration is really trying to fuck us all but in particular some of Trump's most ardent supporters,

[-] [email protected] 22 points 2 days ago

And they'll keep licking his ass for it.

[-] [email protected] 6 points 2 days ago

Is that how you start the trickle down process?

[-] [email protected] 29 points 2 days ago

Starlink is worse in every way compared to broadband, security purposes alone it should never be considered. Nothing beats a wire under the ground.

[-] [email protected] 3 points 2 days ago

You can deploy Starlink in minutes. Wired requires months.

RV lifestyle people depend on Starlink.

I wish there were better options but there aren’t.

Starlink is not worse in every way though.

[-] [email protected] 2 points 1 day ago

If your RV could have fiber, Starlink would be worse in every way... You stripped out the context (fiber availability).

Starlink is amazing when fiber isn't possible. When fiber is possible, it's cheaper in the long term and it's in fact better in every way (latency, reliability, performance, throughout, etc).

[-] [email protected] 6 points 2 days ago

It’s worse in that weather dictates how fast your internet is.

[-] [email protected] 4 points 2 days ago

That hasn’t been a problem for me nor most customers. I’m on video calls all day long.

[-] [email protected] 1 points 2 days ago

During what weather condition? I would expect hard rain or a storm to do something with the connection.

[-] [email protected] 3 points 2 days ago

Thunderstorms, dust storms.

Snow is a problem if it sticks to the antenna and the snow melt feature can’t keep up, but it’s never been a significant complaint.

The only people that complain are the ones that switched from a completely acceptable wired connection to starlink, it this service isn’t designed for them. It’s for me and all the other people that have no other usable options.

[-] [email protected] 2 points 1 day ago

The point is that the grant money could have been used to create more acceptable wired connections, which you admit here are better.

Now the grant money is just going to starlink meaning that more people are in the same situation as you where they have no choice.

[-] [email protected] 1 points 1 day ago

Interesting info, thank you!

[-] [email protected] 23 points 2 days ago

Open corruption. They don’t even bother trying to hide it because there are no consequences.

[-] [email protected] 10 points 2 days ago

Always heard about fiber rollout from att in my city. Been more than 10 years. Only the rich zip have gotten it. There isn't even any rollout front those cities to the immediate surrounding communities. Zero effort from the telcos. There a more massive push for broadband through wifi.

[-] [email protected] 3 points 1 day ago

By "rich zip" you're referring to postal codes ("zip codes" in the USA) where rich people live, right?

[-] [email protected] 2 points 1 day ago
[-] [email protected] 14 points 2 days ago

The rich get richer and the rest of us slowly get boiled in the pot.

[-] [email protected] 10 points 2 days ago

So funny, I'd not trust Elon at all.

this post was submitted on 04 Jun 2025
293 points (98.3% liked)

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