LAST ACRE Act Targets Farm Broadband Gap with $20M Annually, Mandating 100/20 Mbps Service

The LAST ACRE Act of 2025 (Linking Access to Spur Technology for Agriculture Connectivity in Rural Environments) sets up a new federal program under the USDA to close the high-speed internet gap on farms. Essentially, the government is stepping in to pay broadband providers to run fiber, towers, or other infrastructure to the fields and farm sites that currently have slow or nonexistent service. The goal isn't just to stream Netflix, but to enable "precision agriculture connectivity," meaning service fast enough (at least 100 Mbps down/20 Mbps up) to run automated tractors, remote irrigation systems, and connected sensors.

The Last Mile, to the Last Acre

This isn't a general rural broadband bill; it’s laser-focused on the farm itself. The new Last Acre Program defines eligible land as the actual working parts of a farm—cropland, pasture, and farm sites—that are currently unserved (less than 25/3 Mbps) or underserved (less than 100/20 Mbps). The feds will cover up to 80% of the cost for providers to build this new infrastructure. For a broadband company, this dramatically lowers the risk of expanding into areas that are currently too expensive to serve, making those remote fields finally profitable to connect.

A Better Deal for Smaller Farms

The bill carves out a significant benefit for what it calls "Limited Resource Farmers or Ranchers." These are defined by strict income limits—gross farm sales under $100,000 and household income at or below the poverty line or 50% of the county median. If a provider connects one of these qualifying farms, the federal subsidy jumps from 80% to 90% of the project cost. This provision directly targets equity, ensuring that the highest cost-to-serve areas, which are often operated by farmers with the tightest margins, get prioritized and connected.

The Competitive Catch

To get the money, providers have to go through a competitive process. They submit a bid, which is then posted publicly. Other providers get 45 days to challenge the application if they claim they can already deliver the required 100/20 Mbps service quickly. If the original application stands, other companies get 120 days to submit competing bids. The Secretary then picks the winner based on the lowest cost and the best proof that the provider can reliably support the farmer’s specific needs, like mobile connectivity for tractors. This structure is designed to keep costs down and ensure the selected provider knows what they’re doing, but it also gives the USDA significant discretion in deciding who “best proves” their capability, which is a point worth watching.

What This Means for Data and the Future

The bill authorizes $20 million annually for the program through 2030, a clear financial commitment. Just as important, Section 3 mandates a major update to the USDA’s data collection. The National Agricultural Statistics Service must now add specific questions to the Census of Agriculture—the gold standard for farm data—asking farmers not just if they have internet, but the actual speeds they get and if they use it for precision agriculture. This means that within a few years, we will have much clearer, more accurate data on the true state of farm connectivity, which should help future policy decisions.

Who Doesn't Get Connected?

Because this program is strictly limited to eligible farm and ranch land, it’s important to note who doesn’t benefit: rural homeowners or small businesses located near a farm but not officially part of the agricultural operation. While the new infrastructure might run nearby, the funds cannot be used to serve non-farm homes that broadband maps already show as serviceable. This bill solves a very specific problem—farm connectivity—but it’s not a cure-all for the broader rural broadband issue, meaning some neighbors might still be stuck with slow speeds while the farmer next door gets a brand-new 100/20 Mbps connection.