- In July 2026 NTIA asked states to remove satellite locations that newer FCC data shows as already served or not homes.
- Before approval, California cut its satellite locations from 140,901 to 72,937, and Illinois cut Amazon's from 23,739 to 11,490.
- Louisiana, Nebraska and New Hampshire had signed with SpaceX before the request, so any cut there needs SpaceX's agreement.
- Texas went the other way: SpaceX's locations rose from 63,887 to 70,422 after NTIA approved changes on October 15, 2026.
In July 2026 NTIA asked states to drop satellite locations that newer FCC data shows are already served or aren’t homes. What happened next depends on your state. Some cut thousands, some had already signed contracts that can’t change without the company’s agreement, and Texas ended up with more satellite locations, not fewer.
Satellite was a big slice of BEAD to begin with, roughly one funded location in five nationwide (what a satellite award means for a household). So a trim, even a partial one, touched a lot of households.
What NTIA asked for in July 2026
NTIA sent states lists of satellite locations to review against newer FCC map data. The flagged locations were ones the data showed as already having wired service, or as buildings that aren’t homes, such as sheds and barns. Broadband Breakfast reported on July 14, 2026 that states could be asked to remove “as many as half” of their satellite locations, and that satellite winners “may not be reimbursed for ineligible locations.”
States weren’t all at the same stage when the request landed. Some were still in NTIA’s review and could trim their lists before approval. Others had already signed with SpaceX or Amazon. That timing explains most of the differences in the table below.
State by state: what changed
This table covers the states with a published result in this site’s records, as checked on November 3, 2026. Each state name links to its guide.
| State | Satellite before | Satellite after | When | What happened |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| California | 140,901 locations | 72,937 | May 27 to Jul 8, 2026 | Cut during NTIA review, after NTIA told the state on Jun 23 to apply its reason codes to nearly 80,000 locations |
| Illinois | Amazon, 23,739 | 11,490 | Files dated Jul 31, 2026 | Cut before the Aug 25, 2026 approval |
| Maine | SpaceX, 3,207 | 2,940 | Newer award-map layer, checked Nov 3, 2026 | Cut |
| Vermont | SpaceX award $3,295,500 | $2,155,500 | Project list of Sep 14, 2026 | Cut in dollars; location count not published |
| Texas | SpaceX, 63,887 | 70,422 | NTIA approved Oct 15, 2026 | Went up |
| Louisiana | SpaceX, 10,635 | 10,635 in the state’s August release | Signed Jun 11, 2026 | Unchanged; signed before the request |
| Nebraska | SpaceX (count not published) | No change found | Signed by May 22, 2026 | Any cut needs SpaceX’s agreement |
| New Hampshire | SpaceX, 1,105 | No change found | Signed by Jun 3, 2026 | Signed before the request |
| South Carolina | Amazon, 8,888; SpaceX, 1,083 | Unchanged | Jun 30, 2026 | Both satellite awards kept in a wider scope cut |
| Oregon | SpaceX | Unsettled | Sep 2026 | Starlink didn’t sign by the deadline (news) |
States that haven’t published a result
Several states hadn’t published their outcome by November 3, 2026. An outside estimate from New York Law School’s ACLP, posted on Broadband Expanded, gives a sense of the scale, but it’s a third-party estimate, not a confirmed change:
| State | ACLP estimate before | ACLP estimate after |
|---|---|---|
| Massachusetts | 1,227 | 815 |
| Maryland | 2,334 | 1,689 |
| Michigan | 24,638 | 15,136 |
| New York | 14,877 | 12,094 |
| North Carolina | 28,116 | 17,792 |
North Carolina’s own public award data still showed 32,292 satellite locations when last checked. For Ohio, Utah, West Virginia, Mississippi and Georgia, no state-specific satellite change had turned up as of Nov 3, 2026, which isn’t the same as proof that none happened.
Why signed contracts couldn’t be cut
Once a state signs a BEAD agreement, its terms bind both sides, and the state can’t trim it alone (why signing matters). Louisiana, Nebraska and New Hampshire had signed with SpaceX before the July request, so any cut in those states needs SpaceX’s agreement. In Broadband Breakfast’s words, whether those satellite locations come down “will depend on whether the companies agree.”
That’s why timing mattered so much. California and Illinois were still in NTIA’s review and trimmed their lists before approval. The early signers mostly couldn’t.
Texas went the other way for its own reasons. After NTIA approved its post-award changes on October 15, 2026, the state’s updated lists showed SpaceX at 70,422 locations, up from 63,887, while the state’s total BEAD locations fell to 228,252. The records don’t say why SpaceX’s share grew.
If your home was removed, what it means
Removal means BEAD won’t pay a satellite provider to set aside service for your location. It doesn’t stop you from buying any service sold at your address at the regular price. What you can do next depends on why the location was removed:
- Removed as already served. If that’s right, your options are whatever the FCC map lists at your address. If it’s wrong, because the listed wired provider can’t actually serve you, file an availability challenge on the FCC map. A corrected map entry is what a state’s 2026 second round works from.
- Removed as not a home. If it really is a home, file a location challenge to correct the building, then ask your state office about the second round.
Whether removed locations can go onto a state’s second-round list hadn’t been confirmed by November 3, so ask your state office directly. BEAD’s second round explains how that round works and which states had announced one.
How to check your status
- Open your state guide and go to the BEAD section, which links the state’s award map or list.
- Check the date on the map or file. Maine, among others, published a newer layer in 2026; an older list may still show you as funded.
- Search your address or FCC location ID. Note the provider and the technology shown.
- Ask your state broadband office whether your location was flagged in 2026 and, if so, which reason was recorded.
If you’re still on the list, what a BEAD satellite award gives you covers the federal rules, the open questions about equipment and price, and who to ask about signing up.