SpaceX has surged to the top among BEAD program beneficiaries after the government’s updated BEAD guidance, with Connected Nation’s dashboard tracking nearly 4 million total locations and showing SpaceX slated to serve about 472,000 of them.
SpaceX, which operates Starlink as a wholly owned subsidiary, has been awarded more BEAD funds than any other satellite provider, with Connected Nation reporting grants surpassing $733 million. Amazon’s Kuiper trails with about $311 million, though both SpaceX and Kuiper plan to serve hundreds of thousands of locations (SpaceX about 472,000; Amazon Kuiper about 415,000).
The revised guidance aims to cut costs and speed deployment; this has increased the attractiveness of low-Earth orbit (LEO) satellite options in states seeking cheaper alternatives to fiber. Connected Nation’s Colin Reilly said states and territories were reassessing BEAD spending in response to the changes.
Louisiana and Nevada examples: Louisiana will serve 9% of BEAD locations via satellite under the new guidance, up from about 2%. Nevada will cover about 29.1% of eligible locations with LEO satellite, up from around 10%, according to Connected Nation’s BEAD tracker.
As the BEAD program progresses, observers note that the shift toward LEO satellite options could reshape how states balance fiber with satellite-based solutions, as well as the political dynamics around the program.
