NTIA Estimates Up to 1 Million Locations May Need Broadband Funding
NTIA needs new FCC coverage data before determining how many locations could qualify for another funding round
WASHINGTON, Oct. 14, 2026 — Up to 1 million locations could still need broadband service, according to a NTIA official, as the government prepares to identify areas that may qualify for additional funding.
Brooke Donilon, chief of staff at the National Telecommunications and Information Administration, said at a Wireless Infrastructure Association panel that the agency is waiting for an updated Federal Communications Commission broadband coverage map before working with states to identify locations that remain unserved.
“We're anticipating somewhere between 600,000 to a million. We've seen different numbers, but once we get the FCC's updated map, we will submit this to the states,” Donilon said.
The estimate concerns locations that could qualify for another round of funding through the $42 billion Broadband Equity, Access, and Deployment program. The additional round is intended to address gaps left by changing coverage data, providers that withdrew from projects funded by other government programs, and locations where providers promised service but have not delivered it, Donilon said.
The agency had estimated closer to 477,000 locations last month. An analysis from the Advanced Connectivity Law and Policy Institute put the figure closer to 1 million.
NTIA’s earlier estimate appeared to focus on unserved locations, those with access to the slowest broadband speeds, while ACLP’s total included all locations that would have been eligible under BEAD’s main bidding round. It remains unclear whether NTIA’s next funding round will also include underserved locations.
The final number will depend on updated coverage data and a review by states.
The cost of connecting those locations also remains uncertain. Donilon said NTIA needs a clearer picture of the locations before determining the expense.
“Is it going to cost us $3 billion, $6 billion? It's just unclear what the cost is going to be,” she said.
An earlier NTIA estimate of about $2 billion was a cap on potential state funding, calculated using the average per-location costs in approved state plans and the number of additional unserved locations. It was not a final estimate of what it would cost to connect every location.
NTIA has said it spent about $18 billion of the $42 billion program and has a little more than $21 billion in savings. Donilon credited the savings in part to allowing different technologies to compete for funding.
“It was essential” to take a technology-neutral approach, Donilon said. Fixed wireless and satellite can be suitable for some locations, she said, while fiber remains important for others. Competition among technologies helped lower projected costs and gave states more options for connecting households.
Permitting also remains a barrier to broadband construction, Donilon said. Although federal agencies are working to ease requirements, local-level obstacles can still slow projects. She cited instances in which federal efforts to streamline permitting do not translate into action at field offices.
NTIA Administrator Arielle Roth also indicated that the agency expects to move forward soon.
Other panelists said providers can reach rural and tribal communities more quickly by using existing structures and flexible deployment methods rather than waiting for new towers or fiber construction.
Separately, the Wireless Infrastructure Association announced Oct. 13 that Richard Rossi, executive vice president and president of American Tower's U.S. Tower Division, will serve as board chair. Brendan Cavanagh, president and CEO of SBA Communications, was elected vice chair, and Chris Hillabrant, president and CEO of Crown Castle, was appointed to the board.
