LAST ACRE Act of 2025

The "Linking Access to Spur Technology for Agriculture Connectivity in Rural Environments Act of 2025," or LAST ACRE Act of 2025, aims to significantly advance precision agriculture connectivity nationwide. Its core purpose is to augment last-mile broadband deployment by expanding high-speed internet access to unserved and underserved agricultural land. The bill defines "qualifying connectivity" as service capable of at least 100 Mbps downstream and 20 Mbps upstream, supporting various farm technologies and infrastructure. The Act establishes a competitive grant and loan program, administered by the Secretary of Agriculture, for "covered providers" to offer this qualifying connectivity. The federal share for projects is generally 80%, increasing to 90% for projects benefiting limited resource farmers or ranchers . Funds are specifically prohibited from being used for residential service or commercial expansion outside eligible agricultural land, and recipients must incorporate a layered defense strategy for cybersecurity and maintain a configuration management plan. The application process involves an initial bid, followed by a mechanism for other registered providers to submit competing bids or challenge the need for new service if they already provide or can easily extend connectivity. The Secretary evaluates bids based on the lowest cost and the provider's ability to reliably meet the specific connectivity needs of on-farm applications. Priority is given to projects in unserved remote areas , followed by other unserved, then underserved remote, and finally other underserved eligible land, with a maximum buildout timeframe of four years. The bill authorizes appropriations for fiscal years 2025 through 2029 and requires annual reports to Congress on bid outcomes and challenges, which must also be made publicly available. Additionally, the Secretary of Agriculture must provide necessary data to the Federal Communications Commission for inclusion in broadband maps. The Act also mandates the National Agricultural Statistics Service to update its surveys to collect more comprehensive data on farm site broadband subscription, speeds, and usage, including for precision agriculture.