Relating to the provision of broadband service in certain rural counties.

HB 2964 allocates up to $750 million from the state's broadband infrastructure fund to provide grants, low-interest loans, and financial incentives for building fiber-optic broadband networks in specific rural Texas counties. It targets counties with 5,000-25,000 residents that lack existing broadband infrastructure and have unserved locations according to FCC data. The bill prioritizes projects expanding service to residential/commercial addresses not yet covered by fiber, as well as to schools and colleges. This directly affects eligible rural communities and their residents by funding infrastructure development to address broadband gaps.