Arielle Roth, President Donald Trump’s nominee to lead the National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA), stated during a Senate hearing on Thursday that she would not administer the $42 billion internet expansion fund to benefit any individual—specifically not Elon Musk.
The NTIA fund, originally established in 2021, aims to expand high-speed broadband access to unserved and underserved areas across the United States. However, Democrats have expressed concern that under the Trump administration, the program may shift away from its fiber-optic focus in favor of satellite-based services like those provided by Musk’s Starlink. Some lawmakers estimate this shift could funnel up to $20 billion to Musk’s company.
Roth firmly rejected those claims, asserting, “I will administer the program to the benefit of the American people, not any single individual or company.”
Senator Ed Markey, a Massachusetts Democrat, stressed that the law favors fiber optics because they offer cost-effective, long-term infrastructure. “I strongly urge you to oppose this giveaway to Elon Musk,” Markey said during the hearing.
While satellite internet isn’t entirely excluded from the program, it’s intended only for regions where deploying fiber would be prohibitively expensive. Republicans, on the other hand, have criticized the program’s slow progress, noting that despite being passed in 2021, it hasn’t yet delivered internet to any new households.
Senate Commerce Committee Chair Ted Cruz, a Republican from Texas, countered the Democrats’ concerns by suggesting that the Biden administration had politically targeted Musk and slowed the program’s momentum for partisan reasons.
As of now, only three states have received final proposal approvals, four have chosen their internet service providers, and 30 states are in the middle of their application processes. Democrats argue that the program has stagnated since the Trump administration regained power in January.
Earlier this month, Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick announced a program review aimed at promoting a tech-neutral, results-driven approach. "States must be able to provide internet access at the lowest possible cost,” he emphasized.
The debate highlights ongoing partisan tensions over how best to close the digital divide—whether through traditional fiber lines or innovative satellite networks.