The Farm Bill Fight That Will Shape Rural Broadband

But tucked inside the Farm Bill’s rural development title is a provision that governs the future of the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s ReConnect broadband program. What’s at Stake in the Farm Bill for BroadbandReConnect has provided more than $4.4 billion in loans and grants for rural broadband deployment since 2018, reaching some of America’s most remote and expensive-to-serve communities. The House Farm Bill, passed in April by a narrow 224-200 margin, would make ReConnect permanent. “Demands for bandwidth on farms will continue to grow,” he saidThe Farm Bill also matters for broadband beyond ReConnect. Starlink Changes the Math – AgainAn accounting of rural broadband in mid-2026 has to grapple with Starlink, a key part of Elon Musk’s now-public company, SpaceX.