Bill > HB2886

This bill modifies provisions for Missouri's broadband grant program, administered by the Department of Economic Development, to expand access to and improve the reliability of internet service in unserved and underserved areas, meaning areas lacking adequate broadband. Key changes include increasing the minimum required download and upload speeds for both underserved areas (from 100/20 Mbps to 300/30 Mbps) and unserved areas (from 25/3 Mbps to 100/20 Mbps), and raising the target speed for grant-funded projects to 500/500 Mbps, or the Federal Communications Commission's minimum acceptable speed. The bill also introduces a right of first refusal for entities that were second-place finishers in previous federal broadband funding applications to accept defaulted funds recovered by the state, and allows for challenges to grant applications if a provider can demonstrate they already offer or commit to providing service at specific speeds within the proposed area, with higher speed requirements for these challenges (500/30 Mbps). Additionally, the sunset date for the program is extended from June 30, 2027, to June 30, 2030, and the bill clarifies that grants will not fund middle-mile infrastructure, which is the backbone of the internet, rather than the final connection to homes and businesses.