Sponsors (2)
The bill focuses limited broadband grant dollars on truly unserved rural areas and higher baseline speeds while avoiding duplicate funding, but stricter, rural-only eligibility will leave some currently marginal or non-rural underserved communities without timely support and may reduce some local economic activity.
Rural communities with broadband below 100/20 Mbps will be prioritized for grants, concentrating federal funds on areas with the slowest service.
Rural communities and low-income individuals will benefit from a higher minimum service threshold (raised from 10/1 to 25/3 Mbps), which prioritizes better baseline performance for grant recipients and reduces subsidies for very low-speed services.
State governments and rural communities benefit because areas with enforceable future broadband commitments are excluded from these grants, preventing duplicate federal funding and directing money to unserved or uncommitted locations.
Rural communities and low-income individuals currently receiving speeds between 10/1 and 25/3 Mbps may lose eligibility for grants, delaying upgrades for residents who rely on existing marginal service.
Urban and other non-rural underserved communities, including low-income neighborhoods, may be excluded from Community Connect grants because eligibility is limited to 'rural area,' forcing them to seek other programs that may be less appropriate or slower.
Rural communities and state governments with pending but delayed 'enforceable commitments' could be deemed ineligible even though actual deployment is years away, leaving residents without timely funding.
Based on analysis of 2 sections of legislative text.
Raises program speed thresholds and limits eligibility to rural areas while excluding places with enforceable future broadband commitments.
Changes eligibility and speed rules for the Community Connect broadband grant program administered under the Rural Electrification Act. It raises minimum transmission and served-area speed thresholds, narrows eligible areas to "rural areas," and makes areas ineligible if they will receive service under enforceable commitments from other broadband programs.
Introduced November 17, 2025 by Melanie Ann Stansbury · Last progress November 17, 2025