Broadband Access

High speed wifi internet connection with Wi-Fi symbols over residential homes in american suburban neighborhood.

Broadband Access

Crovik Media / iStock / Getty Images Plus

Why Broadband Access Matters for Today’s Homebuyers

Millions of households across the U.S. still lack access to reliable high‑speed internet—now a core piece of infrastructure that shapes economic opportunity, community growth, and even the path to homeownership.

Broadband has become as essential as electricity or running water. For modern buyers, it’s not a luxury; it’s an expectation. Homes without broadband access often:

Stay on the market longer
Sell for lower prices
Attract fewer showings

Reliable broadband doesn’t just strengthen individual listings—it expands the pool of marketable homes by enabling remote work and giving families the flexibility to live where they choose. Without it, entire communities risk falling behind in education, healthcare access, and economic mobility.

NAR Policy on Broadband Access

NAR believes that every American should have access to reliable, affordable, high-speed internet. We will continue to engage with policymakers on solutions that expand access, particularly in rural and underserved communities, while encouraging policies that deliver meaningful and measurable improvements in broadband availability and adoption.

See References for more information.

Broadband Access Topics

Advocacy

What is the fundamental issue?

Millions of homes across the U.S. continue to lack access to high-speed internet, or “broadband,” limiting economic opportunity, community growth, and the dream of homeownership.

I am a real estate professional. What does this mean for my business?

Broadband is now critical infrastructure, like electricity or water, and a must-have feature for today’s buyers. Homes without it:

Stay on the market longer
Sell for less
Get fewer showings

Broadband also expands the pool of marketable homes by enabling remote work and location flexibility. Without it, entire communities are left behind—not just in housing, but in access to education, healthcare, and opportunity.

NAR Policy:

Every American should have access to reliable, affordable, high‑speed internet.

Opposition Arguments

Opponents of federal legislation argue that markets should determine how broadband is deployed. Others counter that millions of Americans still lack basic access, limiting economic growth and opportunity in underserved communities.

Legislative/Regulatory Status/Outlook

Since COVID‑19, Congress has appropriated billions to expand broadband, yet millions of Americans in rural and underserved communities still lack access to reliable high‑speed internet. Congress’s focus has shifted from broadband funding to implementation and oversight:

Infrastructure: In 2021, Congress created the Broadband Equity, Access, and Deployment (BEAD) program to fund broadband infrastructure through state‑administered grants. Now in implementation, the program has drawn concern that funding is not yet translating into on‑the‑ground broadband buildout, prompting several bipartisan House and Senate bills aimed at streamlining permitting, improving transparency, and strengthening program accountability, as described below.
Mapping: The 2020 Broadband DATA Act improved broadband mapping by establishing a public challenge process. However, BEAD relies heavily on these maps, and GAO recently reported that inaccurate data continues to appear on the map, raising concerns about whether existing data-quality controls are sufficient to ensure accurate funding decisions.
Affordability: The Affordable Connectivity Program (ACP), which subsidized broadband for low‑income households, expired in 2024 after funding was not renewed. While bipartisan proposals have been introduced to revive the program, those efforts have not yet gained traction.

NAR continues to work with Congress and federal agencies to expand broadband access while ensuring that funding is spent efficiently, cost‑effectively, and in ways that maximize impact for communities and the housing market.

Current Legislation/Regulation

Enacted

S. 98 – Rural Broadband Protection Act of 2025: Requires the Federal Communications Commission to vet applicants seeking certain Universal Service Fund broadband support and strengthen accountability for buildout obligations. Signed into law as Public Law 119‑89.

Passed One Chamber

H.R. 1343 – Federal Broadband Deployment Tracking Act: Requires the National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) to improve transparency and tracking of federal broadband permitting applications. Passed the House and sent to the Senate.

H.R. 1681 – Expediting Federal Broadband Deployment Reviews Act: Creates an interagency strike force to accelerate federal permitting for broadband projects on public lands. Passed the House and sent to the Senate.

Reported Out of Committee

S. 323 - PLAN for Broadband Act: Directs NTIA to develop a national strategy to better coordinate federal broadband programs and improve broadband planning, mapping, permitting coordination, and accountability. Reported by the Senate Commerce Committee.

H.R. 2805 – PLAN for Broadband Act: Directs NTIA to develop a national strategy to close the digital divide, improve coordination among federal broadband programs, and streamline administration of broadband initiatives. While it shares the same name as S. 323, the House version focuses more narrowly on broadband planning and coordination. Reported by the House Energy & Commerce Committee.

S. 4448 – Accelerating Broadband Permits Act of 2026: Would establish broadband deployment and permitting tracking tools, create a public BEAD progress dashboard, and improve federal permit processing and accountability. Reported by the Senate Commerce Committee.

In-Depth

Issue summary

Letters to Congress

Letters to federal agencies

NAR Federal Issues Tracker

Legislative Contact(s):

Austin Perez
aperez@nar.realtor
202-383-1046

Susan Frederick
SFrederick@nar.realtor
202-383-1116

Regulatory Contact(s):

Austin Perez
aperez@nar.realtor
202-383-1046

Susan Frederick
SFrederick@nar.realtor
202-383-1116

References

NAR Library & Archives has already done the research for you. References (formerly Field Guides) offer links to articles, eBooks, websites, statistics, and more to provide a comprehensive overview of perspectives. EBSCO articles (E) are available only to NAR members and require the member's nar.realtor login.

Broadband Access Information from the REALTOR® Party

Rural Outreach Initiative: Broadband (REALTOR® Party)

“Inadequate broadband access is restraining many rural communities from strengthening their economies as the absence of broadband makes a community a less attractive location for residents, new investment and development. Broadband is no longer a luxury but a necessity as affordable high-speed broadband will soon become almost as important as water and electricity. REALTORS® support a comprehensive national policy to stimulate the deployment of broadband in underserved areas of the U.S., increase data speeds and lower broadband prices.” Utilize this page to understand NAR’s resources, research, and positions on broadband access.

Broadband Access and Property Values

Assessing the Impact of Broadband on Property Value (National Mortgage News, Oct. 30, 2025)

“High-speed internet access has evolved from a luxury amenity to an essential utility that directly influences residential property valuations across the United States. Modern homebuyers and mortgage lenders increasingly recognize broadband connectivity as a major factor in determining home desirability and market value.”

The Fibre Broadband Housing Premium Across Three US States (Regional Studies, Regional Science, Feb. 8, 2024)

“This paper meshes 1.7 million housing transactions across three US states (Iowa, Minnesota and Texas) between 2015 and 2021 with data on broadband infrastructure to evaluate the impact of fibre broadband availability on home prices. This was a period of dramatic fibre growth in these states: prior to 2019, fibre was only available to roughly 24% of the houses sold but rose to 54% in later years. A traditional pricing model that includes a wide array of housing characteristics and census block group-level effects estimates the fibre premium at around 1% in all three states for the full 2105–2021 period. The fibre premium was higher in the earlier part of this period, likely reflecting its novelty during that time. A conservative national estimate of the increase in housing value from deploying ubiquitous fibre is $36 billion.”

Broadband Challenges and Opportunities in Affordable Rental Housing (Pew Research, Apr. 3, 2023)

“To learn more about the challenges and opportunities related to connecting households in federally subsidized multifamily housing, The Pew Charitable Trusts interviewed experts in housing, broadband, and digital equity, as well as personnel from federal and state agencies that provide funding for development and operation of affordable housing. Pew also received responses to a set of emailed questions from three internet service providers (ISPs): two large national ISPs and a fixed wireless provider that has partnered with affordable housing providers to serve residents. This research primarily focused on place-based multifamily housing programs subsidized by the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), but interviewees also addressed other programs, including the Low-Income Housing Tax Credits, administered by the Internal Revenue Service, and the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Rural Housing Service. Many of the findings apply to all these types of housing.”

High-Speed Internet Access and Housing Values (Applied Economics, Jun. 19, 2019)

“The model in this study estimated that single family homes with access to a 25Mbps broadband connection have a price that is about $5,977, or 3% more than similar homes in neighborhoods with 1Mbps. The rural premium is lower at $5,099.”

Broadband Access Issues and Inequalities

Internet Poverty Index (World Data Lab)

“The Internet Poverty Index (IPI) combines price and spending data to assess how many people can and cannot afford a basic package of mobile internet. The index assess the three pillars of internet poverty: affordability (how much would someone spend on mobile internet?), quantity (what is a minimum amoung of data?), and quality (what is a reasonable quality of internet connection?).”

How the Digital Divide Reinforces Internet Inequality Across America (Forbes, Nov. 30, 2025)

“In our hyper-connected era, digital access isn't optional, it’s foundational. Yet for too many families, reliable broadband remains out of reach. This modern inequality isn’t just about buffering, it represents a deep structural barrier to opportunity, financial inclusion, and civic participation. Digital exclusion isn’t new, but has deep infrastructural roots. Many diverse or low-income neighborhoods lack reliable fiber or high-speed options due to underinvestment by telecom providers. A McKinsey report found that approximately 40% of Black American households don’t have high-speed, fixed broadband. In the rural South, 38% of Black households don’t have broadband.”

Futureproof Fiber Gives Homeowners and Edge, but Access Isn’t Always Fair (CNET, Jul. 12, 2025)

A Fiber Broadband Association and The Brattle Group study shows homes with a fiber connection have an average 14% increase in home value compared with homes without fiber…The broadband divide shouldn't hinder wealth-building through homeownership, but it does. The Federal Communications Commission shows only 46% of US households have access to fiber broadband, with low-income and rural communities disproportionately affected by the lack of internet service provider options.

The Digitial Divide and Refinancing Inequalitypdf (University of California – Los Angeles, Apr. 20, 2023)

“Low-income households derive significantly less savings from mortgage refinancing than their wealthy counterparts. We document that the rise of refinancing inequality in the United States can be partially explained by the gap in access to modern information and communications technology. Using granular spatial variation of a large-scale broadband subsidy program, I show that high-speed internet facilitates refinancing activity and reduces monthly mortgage payments. These effects are large and persistent, corresponding to a 5 percent increase in disposable income and up to $18,000 in total savings for low-income households. The growth of refinancing is pronounced in underserved areas with low access to bank branches and among populations that are likely to have low financial and digital literacy.”

Government Broadband Access Programs

Broadband Equity Access and Deployment Program (National Telecommunications and Information Administration)

“The Broadband Equity Access and Deployment Program (BEAD) Program, funded by the IIJA, is a $42.45 billion federal grant program that aims to connect every American to high-speed internet by funding partnerships to build infrastructure. In June 2023, NTIA announced allocation amounts for all 56 states and territories. States and territories can use their allocated funds for these eligible uses: Planning for the deployment of high-speed internet, including conducting research, collecting data, outreach, and training; Deploying or upgrading internet infrastructure in unserved or underserved areas, or improving service to community anchor institutions; Installing internet and Wi-Fi service in multi-unit residential buildings; Internet access, adoption and use programs; Workforce readiness programs to meet the needs of the infrastructure programs; and other activities that increase meaningful use of constructed infrastructure, at the discretion of the Assistant Secretary.”

Tribal Broadband Connectivity Program (National Telecommunications and Information Administration)

“The Tribal Broadband Connectivity Program is a $3 billion program directed to Tribal Governments, Tribal Colleges and Universities, Tribal Organizations and Native Corporations, and the Department of Hawaiian Home Lands to be used for broadband deployment on tribal lands, as well as for telehealth, distance learning, broadband affordability, and adoption.”

Have an idea for a real estate topic? Send us your suggestions.

The inclusion of links on this page does not imply endorsement by the National Association of REALTORS®. NAR makes no representations about whether the content of any external sites which may be linked in this page complies with state or federal laws or regulations or with applicable NAR policies. These links are provided for your convenience only and you rely on them at your own risk.