Recently, the Biden Administration boasted an $82 million investment to increase high speed internet access in North Carolina. This announcement drew criticism from Federal Communications Chairman Brendan Carr and Elon Musk. Both highlighted how the spending was inefficient, as much of the federal funds were slated to fund expensive fiber in rural areas. They argued that satellite internet providers are better equipped to serve these areas at a lower cost.

This criticism comes on the heels of the Biden Administration’s decision to rescind a 2020 deal with Starlink, a satellite internet service launched by SpaceX. The deal had contracted Starlink’s services to provide internet to rural areas as part of the administration’s larger initiative to increase internet availability to all Americans.

Starlink promised to deliver internet to rural areas for $1,377 per household or a business—a cost much lower than the $5,125 that the Biden Administration is currently spending to run fiber to all these locations. The quadrupling of price is due to the significant cost of running fiber cables to hard-to-reach rural areas.

While underground fiber cables carrying internet service are efficient in cities and suburbs, they are inefficient in rural areas where structures can be miles away. Additionally, many people in rural areas are uninterested in purchasing high-speed internet service, making the unnecessary  spending even worse. By contrast, satellite internet requires far less physical infrastructure and is more flexible to meet customer needs.

Satellite internet providers have made great strides from the days of large dishes and low speeds. Amazon’s Project Kuiper, SpaceX’s Starlink and several others boast fast and reliable broadband access through cutting edge satellite low earth rotation technology. The industry is competitive, growing, and a prudent alternative to fiber in rural areas.

Louisiana’s state office of broadband, ConnectLA, has done well in committing to using all available technology or “tech neutrality” in the use of BEAD funds. This ensures that new broadband projects in the state will be designed in ways that allow communities to be served with the most effective methods, instead of a one size fits all fiber approach.

It is important that ConnectLA follows through with this plan because just 62% of rural Louisianians have access to high speed internet. In doing so, the state can save taxpayer dollars and ensure all Louisianians have access to reliable and affordable internet.