Musk’s Starlink Pushed by GOP for $42 Billion Broadband Buildout

When President Joe Biden put $42 billion behind making high-speed internet accessible across the US, he committed to doing it the old-fashioned way – with miles upon miles of fiber-optic lines.

That frustrated Elon Musk, who said his Starlink satellite-internet business could get rural areas online faster, at lower cost. Biden’s decision helped drive a wedge between the Democratic president and the world’s richest person, who later used his wealth to help return Donald Trump to the White House.

Now, some Republicans want to open the floodgates for Starlink to compete with fiber, potentially shifting billions to Musk.

Ukrainian soldiers near a Starlink satellite internet receiver in 2024.

Photographer: Scott Peterson/Getty Images