# Community Connect Grant Program Act of 2023

This bill updates a federal program that helps bring high-speed internet to rural communities. The Community Connect Grant Program has been around for a while, but this bill modernizes it to reflect how internet technology and speeds have changed over the past several years.

The main changes involve raising the minimum internet speeds that the program requires. Currently, the program sets lower speed standards, but this bill bumps them up significantly. For areas receiving grants, the minimum download speed would increase from 10 megabits per second to 25 megabits per second, and the minimum upload speed would go from 1 megabit per second to 3 megabits per second. For the most advanced projects, the bill sets even higher standards: 100 megabits per second for downloads and 20 megabits per second for uploads. These faster speeds matter because they allow people to work from home, stream video, attend online classes, and use modern applications without constant buffering and delays.

The bill also extends the program's authorization through 2028, meaning the federal government will continue funding these rural broadband projects for five more years. Additionally, it clarifies that communities can receive grants even if they're already getting broadband funding from other federal programs, as long as the new project will improve service. This flexibility helps ensure that rural areas aren't left behind as the rest of the country upgrades to faster internet speeds. For rural residents and small businesses, this means better access to the high-speed internet that's increasingly essential for education, healthcare, commerce, and everyday life.