LAST ACRE Act Targets 100/20 Mbps Internet for Farms, Prioritizing Small Producers and Cybersecurity

The Linking Access to Spur Technology for Agriculture Connectivity in Rural Environments Act of 2025—or the LAST ACRE Act—is a major federal push to solve the digital divide on America’s farms. This bill sets up a new program designed to bring high-speed internet (specifically 100 Mbps download and 20 Mbps upload) to the most remote and underserved agricultural land, ensuring farmers can finally use the tech needed for modern ‘precision agriculture.’ Think of it as closing the last mile, or in this case, the last acre, of the internet infrastructure gap.

The Need for Speed: What 100/20 Really Means

The core of the bill is the new Last Acre Program, which offers competitive grants and loans to broadband providers to build out service where it’s currently lacking. Why 100/20 Mbps? That’s the speed floor needed to run sophisticated farm equipment—like connected tractors, automated irrigation systems, and drones—that rely on real-time data. For a farmer trying to manage fertilizer application down to the square foot, slow internet is a huge bottleneck. This program aims to eliminate that bottleneck, allowing producers to increase efficiency and potentially reduce costs.

Leveling the Playing Field for Small Farms

One of the most important provisions focuses on smaller operations. The bill creates a special category for Limited Resource Farmers or Ranchers—those with gross farm sales under $100,000 and low household income. If a broadband provider commits to serving these smaller producers, the federal government will cover up to 90 percent of the project cost, compared to the standard 80 percent for other projects. This is a big deal because it makes serving these typically harder-to-reach, less profitable areas financially viable for providers, ensuring that infrastructure investment isn't just focused on large, commercial operations.

The Competitive Gauntlet for Providers

Getting these federal dollars won't be easy. The bill sets up a rigorous, competitive bidding system. When a provider applies for funding to serve a specific piece of land, the government notifies all registered competitors. Other providers get 45 business days to challenge the application if they claim they can already serve that land. If the land is still eligible, a 120-day window opens for competing bids. The winner isn't just the cheapest option; the Secretary also weighs who can best support the specific needs of the farm, such as mobility requirements. This process is designed to ensure taxpayer money goes to the most efficient and effective solution, but it also means providers have to navigate a complex, time-consuming administrative process.

Cybersecurity and the Four-Year Clock

Projects funded under the LAST ACRE Act come with mandatory cybersecurity requirements, demanding providers use a layered defense strategy for new equipment and maintain a configuration management plan. This is smart policy, recognizing that farm equipment and data are critical infrastructure. Furthermore, providers have a hard deadline: the maximum allowed time to build out the service is four years from the date the funding is awarded. If they miss milestones, the Secretary is required to impose penalties and fines. This keeps projects moving and prevents providers from sitting on funds without delivering service.

What the Government Will Finally Know

Beyond the infrastructure buildout, the bill also mandates a significant data collection upgrade. The Department of Agriculture must update its key surveys, including the Census of Agriculture, to ask farmers three specific questions: Do you have broadband at the farm site? What are the actual download and upload speeds? And are you using it for precision agriculture? Right now, federal broadband maps often struggle to accurately capture connectivity on working farms. This change in data collection will give policymakers—and the public—a much clearer picture of exactly where the gaps are and how effective this program is down the line.