The bill would establish the ReConnect program in the Rural Electrification Act. It would provide grants, loans, or both to eligible entities for building, improving, or acquiring equipment and facilities for rural broadband service. Projects generally must offer speeds of at least 100 Mbps for downloads and uploads. Most project areas must have at least 75% of households without access to service at 100 Mbps download and 20 Mbps upload. The bill gives priority to areas with greater broadband access gaps and allows other priorities, including small or isolated communities and precision agriculture projects. Applicants must agree to complete construction within five years and participate in a federal internet affordability program. The bill was introduced and referred to a Senate committee; it has not been enacted.
Eligible organizations could apply for funding to provide or improve broadband service in rural areas. Residents may be in a project area if they meet the bill’s rural-area and broadband-access rules. The bill does not guarantee that a project will serve any particular household.
The bill authorizes $650 million per year for fiscal years 2026 through 2030 for grants and related assistance, and $350 million per year for direct loans over the same period. These are authorized amounts, not a statement of actual spending. It also directs the rescission and replacement of unobligated funds from an existing program. The bill permits the Secretary to require a project cost share of up to 25% of the grant amount, with possible waivers for certain projects or entities.
No publicly available information.
No publicly available information.