Federal agencies distributing tens of billions of dollars to expand broadband should do more to target underserved areas accurately and ensure that funded networks remain financially viable, the Government Accountability Office (GAO) found in a recent report.

The report reviewed nine programs run by four agencies that have administered most federal broadband deployment funding since 2020: the Federal Communications Commission (FCC), the National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA), the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), and the Department of the Treasury.

The GAO noted that Congress appropriated more than $50 billion for these efforts through the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, including roughly $42 billion for NTIA’s Broadband Equity, Access, and Deployment (BEAD) program.

As of February 2026, all nine programs had begun distributing money, though progress varied. GAO reported that a Treasury recovery fund was expected to complete deployment in 2026, while other funding initiatives — including BEAD, several FCC High Cost subprograms, and a round of the Tribal Broadband Connectivity Program — were not expected to finish until 2030 or later.

To direct funding to areas that lack service, agencies rely on FCC mapping data that, in turn, relies on information from broadband providers. The Commission accepts challenges to that data from state, local, and Tribal governments as well as consumers.

GAO said some participants and stakeholders described that challenge process as burdensome and unclear, noting that disputing many locations can be difficult for smaller communities and broadband providers with limited resources. Without targeted outreach, the FCC may not obtain the most accurate availability information, the report said.

GAO also examined the NTIA’s push to make BEAD projects self-sustaining. In October 2025, the Administration began requiring providers to certify that they will not accept other federal funding for BEAD-supported locations for at least 10 years. The NTIA indicated that states could request certain data from providers but had not detailed the circumstances that would warrant such requests.

GAO recommended that the FCC work with smaller communities and broadband providers to address difficulties with the challenge process, and that the NTIA give states more guidance on monitoring BEAD projects to support financial sustainability. Both agencies agreed with the recommendations.