Why It Matters

Millions of Americans lack broadband access, or high-speed internet, and that access is critical for employment, education, health care, and routine daily functions. Over 100 federal programs administered by 15 agencies support broadband, yet no overarching national strategy exists to coordinate them. The Government Accountability Office (GAO) testified before the House Subcommittee on Communications and Technology, Committee on Energy and Commerce on July 21, synthesizing findings from its May 2022 and April 2025 reports. The testimony didn't provide recommendations, but tracked the status of prior ones, which remain mostly unaddressed.

The Big Picture

The federal government has invested tens of billions of dollars over the past decade across broadband-related programs, yet three problems persist: no national strategy, incomplete interagency coordination, and unreliable mapping data that drives funding decisions.

In May 2022, the GAO recommended that the Executive Office of the President develop a national broadband strategy. As of July 2026, the Executive Office of the President had not taken a position on that recommendation.

The four agencies that administer the bulk of federal broadband funding — Federal Communications Commission (FCC), National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA), United States Department of Agriculture (USDA), and Treasury — have coordination mechanisms in place, but GAO's April 2025 report recommended improvements to strengthen them. As of July 2026, agencies had taken steps toward implementation, but had not fully addressed the recommendations.

Agencies rely on the FCC's National Broadband Map to target federal broadband funding, but the accuracy of that map's availability data is uncertain. In April 2025, GAO recommended FCC document and evaluate the effectiveness of its processes for ensuring the map's data quality. As of July 2026, FCC had not yet addressed those recommendations, though officials reported that steps are being taken.

The Bottom Line

The hearing addressed foreign threats to communications networks, illegal robocalls, and broadband access. The GAO testimony focused specifically on the gaps that remain despite improvement.

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