Summary

Provides grants, loans, and grant/loan combinations to build, improve, or buy broadband facilities and equipment in rural areas. It sets a new definition of eligible “broadband service” and “rural area,” requires projects deliver symmetric or near‑symmetric speeds of at least 100 Mbps down and 100 Mbps up, and directs the Secretary to prioritize places with little or no existing service (especially areas where 90% of households lack 100/20 Mbps and very small or high‑need communities).

• Creates a USDA program to provide grants, loans, and mixed funding for rural broadband construction, improvement, and acquisition.
• Defines broadband to include any Secretary‑identified technology that supports high‑quality voice, data, graphics, and video.
• Requires funded projects to deliver symmetric or near‑symmetric service of at least 100 Mbps down and 100 Mbps up.
• Limits eligible project territories to places where a large share of households lack service (generally 75% without 100/20 Mbps) and prioritizes areas where 90% lack 100/20 Mbps.
• Prioritization may favor very small communities, places with outmigration and a strategic plan, high concentrations of low‑income families, and isolated areas.
• Gives the Secretary regulatory discretion to classify technologies and treat certain urban growth areas as non‑rural for program purposes.
• Amends the Rural Electrification Act provision to focus assistance on high‑capacity, symmetric broadband in predominantly underserved rural territories.
• Does not specify appropriation amounts or detailed award procedures in the supplied text.