The LAST ACRE Act would amend the Rural Electrification Act of 1936 to create the Last Acre Program. The program provides grants and loans to eligible providers to deliver qualifying connectivity to unserved and underserved agricultural land.
It defines key terms (eligible land, covered producer, covered provider, qualifying connectivity) and sets a high-speed threshold tied to precision agriculture uses. The bill also establishes a competitive bidding process, sets cost-share requirements, and imposes cybersecurity and project-buildout rules.
It authorizes funding for 2026–2030 and includes data collection and reporting provisions, while repealing two existing sections of the REA.
At a Glance
What It Does
Establishes the Last Acre Program to grant/loan qualified connectivity to eligible land via registered providers. Defines qualifying connectivity (100 Mbps down, 20 Mbps up) and related terms, and links buildout to precision agriculture needs.
Who It Affects
Directly affects covered providers (broadband providers serving rural land) and covered producers (farmers/ranchers with eligible land), plus ARS centers and other agricultural operations on farm sites.
Why It Matters
Brings high-speed internet to farm sites essential for precision agriculture, data-enabled operations, and rural economic resilience, while setting a framework for competitive deployment and cybersecurity.
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What This Bill Actually Does
The bill adds a new section to the Rural Electrification Act to create the Last Acre Program. The program will provide grants and loans to eligible providers to secure qualifying connectivity on eligible agricultural land that is currently unserved or underserved.
Qualifying connectivity is defined as a service capable of at least 100 Mbps downstream and 20 Mbps upstream, and the bill lists activities that count toward qualifying connectivity, including connecting on-farm devices and enabling data transmissions between farm structures and devices. The program targets land that is actively used for crops, livestock, or other agricultural production and prioritizes producers who are small or otherwise resource-constrained.
A formal registration and bidding process is required, with a transparent adjudication framework for challenges to eligible land postings and bid results. The Secretary may award up to an 80% federal share of project costs, with a higher 90% share available to limited-resource farmers or ranchers.
The bill also requires cybersecurity protections, sets buildout milestones (no more than four years), and imposes penalties for noncompliance. In addition to the program, the bill expands data collection on broadband use through the National Agricultural Statistics Service and requires data sharing with the FCC for broadband maps.
Appropriations of $20 million annually are authorized for 2026–2030, and several REA provisions are repealed or amended accordingly.
The Five Things You Need to Know
Section 607 creates the Last Acre Program to fund connectivity on unserved/underserved agricultural land.
Qualifying connectivity must meet 100 Mbps down / 20 Mbps up and support farm-automation activities.
Federal funding share is capped at 80% (90% for limited-resource producers).
A regulated bidding process with a registration portal, challenges, and a 90‑business‑day adjudication timeline governs project awards.
$20 million per year is authorized for 2026–2030, plus data-sharing and cybersecurity requirements.
Section-by-Section Breakdown
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Last Acre Program — purposes and definitions
This section establishes the Last Acre Program within the Rural Electrification Act and sets the core purposes: nationwide precision agriculture connectivity and augmented last-mile broadband for agricultural producers. It defines critical terms, including eligible land, covered producer, covered provider, qualifying connectivity, and precision agriculture, and links them to the program’s eligibility and buildout requirements.
Establishment of the program
Not later than one year after enactment, the Secretary must establish the Last Acre Program to make grants and loans to covered providers for qualifying connectivity on unserved and underserved land. A cap is placed on funding to agricultural research centers (no more than 10% of annual appropriations for the program).
Use of funds and cost-sharing
Funds may be used for defining cybersecurity requirements and supporting the construction and operation of qualifying networks. The federal share is generally up to 80% of project costs, with a 90% share available to limited-resource farmers or ranchers. The program prohibits funding for service to residences identified as serviceable on maps or in surrounding commercial areas.
Bid applications and registration
Providers must submit bids and register via a Secretary-run online portal. The process requires details on connectivity plans, cost shares, compliance with laws, technical and operational capacity, and demonstration of unserved/underserved status. The Secretary may publish land eligibility for bids and accept challenges to posted land estimates with a structured adjudication process.
Priority and competition rules
Assistance is prioritized for unserved land in remote areas, followed by other unserved land, then underserved land in remote areas, and finally other underserved land. Competing bidders must demonstrate cost efficiency and the ability to meet downstream/upstream needs, including on-farm mobility if included in the bid.
Cybersecurity requirements
As a condition of assistance, providers must implement layered cybersecurity defenses and maintain a regularly updated configuration management plan, ensuring the networks and devices deployed with program funds remain secure.
Reporting, data, and maps
The Secretary must report annually to Congress on bids, challenges, land parcels, and award outcomes and must publish these data publicly. The Secretary will also provide needed data to the FCC for inclusion in broadband maps; data privacy provisions apply to proprietary information.
Appropriations and repeal
The Act authorizes $20 million per year for 2026–2030 to carry out the Last Acre Program and repeals certain existing REA sections to align with the new framework.
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Explore Technology in Codify Search →Who Benefits and Who Bears the Cost
Every bill creates winners and losers. Here's who stands to gain and who bears the cost.
Who Benefits
- Unserved and underserved covered producers (farmers and ranchers) who gain access to high-speed connectivity enabling precision agriculture and on-farm data services.
- Covered providers that win grants/loans to deploy qualifying connectivity and expand rural footprints.
- Agricultural research centers and ARS facilities that participate as eligible land entities or benefit from improved data flows and pilot deployments.
- USDA and related agricultural operations relying on digital market data, remote sensing, and farm-management tools.
- FCC and data users relying on improved broadband mapping data to guide policy and investment.
Who Bears the Cost
- Federal government and taxpayers fund up to 80% of project costs (90% for limited-resource farmers), creating a material federal obligation.
- Covered providers must contribute the non-federal share (typically 20%), plus any project-related costs.
- Agricultural research centers funded under the program may consume a portion of annual appropriations, and there are costs associated with implementing cybersecurity, compliance, and reporting requirements.
- Costs associated with bid-adjudication processes, registration infrastructure, and the administrative burden of monitoring milestones and certifications.
Key Issues
The Core Tension
The central dilemma is balancing timely, cost-effective private-led deployment with strong federal oversight and equity goals, all while relying on maps and competitive processes that may delay or distort grant awards and project timelines.
The bill creates a multi-layered subsidy mechanism that relies on private carriers to build out networks in sparsely populated areas. While the program foregrounds cybersecurity and data collection, several implementation risks exist: the accuracy of broadband maps that determine eligibility, the sufficiency of a capped federal share to finance buildouts in remote locations, and the administrative complexity of a competitive bidding and challenge process that could slow deployment.
The reliance on private providers to absorb or recruit the non-federal share may also affect project scope, equity, and long-term maintenance in very rural zones. Privacy concerns arise around the exchange of provider bids and land data, even as the law calls for careful handling of proprietary information.
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