Prioritizing Rural Broadband Affordability Act

This bill requires the Department of Agriculture to incorporate service affordability into its criteria for awarding grants under rural broadband programs. Specifically, it amends Section 601 of the Rural Electrification Act of 1936 to modify how "unserved" areas are defined. The amendments mandate that the Secretary of Agriculture consider the affordability of broadband service when determining if a household is unserved or if a proposed service territory is unserved . This means that areas where broadband is available but prohibitively expensive will now be considered in the same light as areas with no service at all for grant eligibility. The changes aim to expand access to truly accessible broadband services in rural areas, with the provisions taking effect one year after the bill's enactment.