When the state announced that it's set to receive $1.3 billion of federal funds to improve broadband access, rural Texans who have been waiting years for the money were disappointed.

They were expecting three times the amount.

Two years ago, $3.3 billion was pledged for Texas through a bipartisan infrastructure deal signed by President Joe Biden to fund the Broadband Equity, Access, and Deployment program, or BEAD. The state won federal approval for its plan to use those funds last year.

But a year later, Texas submitted a new plan and was awarded just shy of $1.3 billion from the Trump administration. Local leaders who have fought for investment in broadband and companies serving Texans in the rural counties with limited internet access feel let down.

“For the longest time, everyo

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