LUBBOCK, Texas (KCBD) – Texas House Speaker Dustin Burrows and Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick are calling for an audit of the state’s Broadband Development Office, citing concerns about how the agency has invested as much as $5 billion in state and federal money.
The push for an audit follows questions raised by a Senate committee last month as lawmakers evaluated the office’s progress and grant programs, which range from pole replacement to expanding high-speed internet access across the state.
Committee Chairman Charles Schwertner, a Republican from Georgetown, said industry concerns prompted scrutiny of how the office evaluates its contracts.
“There’s been concerns raised, and I’m bringing it to the public’s and the office’s attention, that I have my eye on y’all regarding the way you are conducting your business,” Schwertner said. “I don’t care who’s messing with your business, but we as an oversight committee are going to oversee it regarding fairness and transparency.”
Lawmakers suggested the office gave “sweetheart deals” to certain companies, offering more money up-front than it normally would. The office’s director said those changes were denied to companies using fiber or cable, with the preferential structure focused specifically on low-earth orbit satellite internet — a service offered at scale only by Elon Musk’s Starlink.
During the June 24 hearing, lawmakers questioned when and why the office re-examined its funding structure. The director said the governor’s office asked the agency around May 20, 2026, to look at how its proposed structure compared to other states, saying the office was “out of step” with them.
A spokesman for the governor’s office said it prioritizes getting broadband to rural communities as quickly as possible, and said the Broadband Development Office made the decision to provide earlier access to capital to deliver that service more quickly.
Burrows and Patrick said an audit will help make the office more open, accountable, and responsible.
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