Rural Broadband Bill Mandates 100/100 Mbps Speeds and $650M Annually Through 2030

The “ReConnecting Rural America Act of 2025” is a major overhaul of how the government funds high-speed internet in areas that still rely on dial-up speeds. Essentially, this bill dumps the old rulebook and sets up a massive new grant and loan program, authorized to spend $650 million annually through 2030, specifically to get modern broadband into rural communities.

The New Standard: 100/100 or Bust

If you live in a rural area, the most important thing in this bill is the speed requirement. Forget the old definition of broadband; this bill sets a tough new minimum: funded projects must deliver at least 100 Megabits per second (Mbps) downstream and 100 Mbps upstream. That’s a huge jump, ensuring that the infrastructure built today won't be obsolete tomorrow. Think about it: 100 Mbps up means a farmer can upload drone imagery or sensor data instantly, and a student can stream video calls while their parent downloads large work files—all simultaneously.

Crucially, this funding is laser-focused. Projects only qualify if they target areas where at least 75% of households currently lack service of 100 Mbps down and 20 Mbps up. The money is explicitly designed to close the gap where service is slowest, and the Secretary must prioritize projects serving areas where 90% of households are still stuck below that 100/20 Mbps threshold.

Who Gets to Build It and Who Pays for It?

The bill is clear about who can apply: state and local governments, Indian Tribes, cooperatives, and corporations. However, it explicitly bars individuals or general partnerships from applying, meaning this is a program for established entities, not solo entrepreneurs. To ensure the new services are affordable, any recipient of this funding must agree to participate in federal affordability programs like the Affordable Connectivity Program (ACP) or Lifeline. This links the new infrastructure directly to cost relief for low-income families, which is a significant win for digital equity.

There are also guardrails to prevent the biggest players from gobbling up all the cash. No single eligible entity that already serves 20% or more of the U.S. population can receive more than 15% of the total funds in a given year. This restriction favors smaller, local providers, cooperatives, and governments—the groups often best positioned to understand and serve their specific rural communities.

Avoiding Duplication and Addressing the Fine Print

One smart measure in the bill prevents funding from being wasted by building over existing, federally funded networks. If an area already received a grant from the FCC, Treasury, or another federal program, this new funding can’t be used there—unless that existing service still fails to deliver the minimum 100/20 Mbps speed to 75% of the households. This means that if a previous investment fell short on speed, this new program can step in to fix it.

However, there is some significant power handed to the Secretary. The bill gives the Secretary the authority to define exactly what technology counts as “broadband service” and allows them to adjust the minimum speed requirements every two years. While the initial 100/100 Mbps standard is excellent, the Secretary’s ability to change that definition or adjust which communities qualify as “rural” down the line is a key area of administrative discretion that could impact how the program rolls out over the next five years.