Powering Connectivity: How State Legislatures Shaped Broadband in 2025

While the internet has become an essential part of many Americans’ daily lives, some people in rural and underserved communities still lack access to high-speed broadband and the digital skills necessary to use it. Historic investments such as the Broadband Equity Access and Deployment (BEAD) Program present opportunities for states to move closer to universal connectivity. But uncertainty around federal changes to these programs and challenges such as infrastructure regulation can be barriers to deployment. In 2025, state legislatures continued efforts to close the digital divide, which the Pew Research Center defines as the gap between the 78% of households that have access to broadband service in their homes and the remainder that do not. NCSL tracked more than 600 broadband bills from 51 states and territories in 2025, with 45 states and territories enacting 139 bills and resolutions on the topic. NCSL saw trends in four key sectors of broadband policy: infrastructure regulation, critical infrastructure protections, state broadband funding, and assistance for rural and low-income communities.