Sponsors (4)
The bill shifts federal broadband grants toward faster, more future-proof 25/3 Mbps builds that will raise service quality where funded, but that higher standard may exclude or delay some communities and raise project costs, reducing short-term reach.
Rural communities in funded areas will get grants prioritized for deploying at least 25/3 Mbps service, encouraging more future-proof network builds and reducing the need for near-term upgrades.
Students, teleworkers, and small-business owners in funded areas will gain more reliable higher-speed broadband (>=25/3 Mbps), improving remote education, telework opportunities, and small-business operations.
Some rural and low-income communities could become ineligible for funding if local providers cannot meet the new 25/3 Mbps threshold, leaving them without federal support.
Smaller or lower-cost projects may face higher build costs to meet the standard, which can reduce the number of projects that receive grants and may increase local matching requirements or taxpayer costs.
Short-term delays in delivering any service could occur while applicants redesign projects to meet the new speed standards, delaying broadband access for intended recipients.
Based on analysis of 3 sections of legislative text.
Increases Community Connect Grant Program minimum service requirements from 10/1 Mbps to 25/3 Mbps for funded projects.
Raises the minimum broadband speed requirements for projects funded by the USDA Community Connect Grant Program from 10 Mbps down/1 Mbps up to 25 Mbps down/3 Mbps up. The change updates the statutory performance baseline for eligible projects and becomes effective six months after the Act is enacted.
Official title: To increase the minimum broadband service capacity for projects under the Community Connect Grant Program, and for other purposes.
Introduced March 27, 2026 by April McClain Delaney · Last progress March 27, 2026