The CONNECT Act of 2023 reforms federal broadband funding and deployment processes to expand internet access in rural areas. The bill modifies the ReConnect Program by establishing an Office of Technical Assistance to help smaller broadband providers with applications and creating a mini-grant program providing up to twenty thousand dollars to help providers develop initial project plans. The legislation also streamlines permitting by requiring the Department of Agriculture to approve or deny broadband easement applications within 180 days and gives priority scoring to applications from local governments, nonprofits, and cooperatives. Additionally, the bill creates an interagency council led by the Federal Communications Commission to develop uniform broadband speed standards and standardized federal application requirements. Finally, it allows electric utilities to use existing fiber cables on federal easements for broadband service without additional federal permits, provided national security concerns are not involved. The bill dedicates twenty million dollars annually to support the technical assistance and mini-grant programs for broadband providers serving fewer than twenty thousand subscribers.
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