Much of rural America still needs access to fast internet. Some are concerned that new guidelines calling for the use of less expensive broadband technologies will make Internet services less reliable.
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Fast broadband is widely available in urban areas, but not in many rural communities. Government data shows that about one in five residents lack reliable internet access, despite decades of efforts to reach underserved areas. States were close to investing millions of dollars in broadband earlier this year when the Trump administration released new guidelines. Harvest Public Media's Anna Pope reports.
ANNA POPE, BYLINE: Antlers, Oklahoma, is a small rural town with a population of just over 2,000 people. Chris Bailey works in the Oklahoma State University Extension office in Pushmataha County.
CHRIS BAILEY: So in southeast Oklahoma, we're very rural. We have small communities that I love, a beautiful country. We have a developed forest industry and developed agriculture.
POPE: Bailey helps farmers and families access educational resources and knows many don't have good internet. This includes Bailey's other office in a neighboring county.
BAILEY: It's still not enough for us to upgrade our phone systems to internet phones.
POPE: For years, federal and state governments have worked to expand internet connectivity, especially in rural communities. In 2023, Congress allocated approximately $42 billion to states through the Broadband Access and Deployment (BEAD) program. States were preparing to begin these projects, but the Trump administration paused in June and issued new guidelines.
MIKE SANDERS: We were a few days away from announcing where we were and then the rules changed.
POP: Mike Sanders, executive director of the Oklahoma Broadband Authority, says his state's plans need to change.
SANDERS: Whereas before we had eight to 10 months, we had 90 days. Everything was condensed into a year of work – I'm not kidding – into three months.
POP: The Trump administration wanted states to look at different types of technologies and least-cost options.
DREW GARDNER: So we're not going to look at the highest quality network. We're going to look at the least expensive networks.
POP: Drew Gardner works for the Benton Institute for Broadband and Society, which advocates for reliable and affordable internet across the country. He says fiber has been the gold standard for years. Satellite and fixed wireless now play a larger role in the state's offerings. The National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) is the agency overseeing the program. It says Oklahoma will save about $225 million under a new plan that would make about 35% of the state's broadband network satellite and fixed wireless. While installation is cheaper than fiber optics, some question whether these other technologies will be as reliable and durable. In Wisconsin, Gail Heike works as a community development specialist at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. She says the state has decided to reduce its share of fiber broadband from 93% to 73%.
GAIL HIKE: We're hearing from communities who are concerned about what will this mean for sustainability? What will this mean in some areas of topography?
POPE: Satellite and fixed wireless communications over radio waves that can be blocked by trees, mountains or severe storms. But since it's cheaper, the entire BEAD program will cost less. NTIA says that as states and territories submit new plans, it projects the cost of the program will drop by $17 billion. Each state was allocated an initial budget amount, and it is now unclear where the remaining money will end up. Gardner says it's up to the NTIA.
GARDNER: They're very cagey about what they'll allow states to do with that money. According to the law, this is state money. We're just waiting for NTIA to say what they can do about it.
POPE: Sanders says that in Oklahoma, if a decision is made soon, federal money will help them get broadband into the last, hardest-to-reach places.
SANDERS: When it's all said and done, I believe Oklahoma will be very proud of the product that we produced. However – there is a big “but” here – everything will now rest with NTIA.
POP: Sanders hopes to get shovels in the ground next spring.
For NPR News, I'm Anna Pope in Antlers, Oklahoma.
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