🟡Relating to increasing access to and reducing taxation of Internet services.

🟡 SB 1405: Broadband Expansion That Centralizes Control

What it says it does:
SB 1405 updates Texas broadband policy to match new federal standards. It raises the definition of broadband speed, allows the state to use federal maps, repeals outdated advisory sections, and clarifies that internet access is not taxed.

What it actually changes:
It shifts most authority for broadband planning, mapping, and grant decisions to the Comptroller’s Broadband Development Office. It removes the Governor’s Broadband Development Council and exempts certain projects from public challenge or review.

Who is pushing for it:
Support in the files comes from agency representatives and broadband program staff seeking to streamline funding and align with federal standards. No specific PACs or corporations are listed.

Who benefits:
Large broadband carriers and middle-mile infrastructure builders who can manage large contracts under state control. The Broadband Development Office gains sole decision-making power over how funds and maps are used.

Who gets left out or exposed:
Small rural internet providers, co-ops, and local governments that rely on community-driven mapping and funding. Without the challenge process, rural gaps and mapping errors will be harder to correct before contracts go out.

Why this matters long term:
Centralizing authority may improve coordination in the short run, but it reduces local oversight and transparency. It sets a precedent where one agency, not a public council, controls how broadband funds flow and which areas get prioritized.

What to watch next:
Watch whether award data is posted publicly before funds are finalized and whether last-mile projects are quietly excluded from future broadband rounds. Transparency rules will determine if communities can track who really gets connected.

Bottom line:
SB 1405 looks like progress, but it trades community oversight for bureaucratic speed. Without stronger guardrails, rural Texans may still be left waiting while big infrastructure players secure the contracts.

Questions to ask lawmakers:

1. When you let Texas adopt the FCC map, what protections are in place for rural neighborhoods or apartment areas where the map says “served” but the service is not reliable?
2. How will you measure whether the higher broadband standard actually results in better service, not just better paperwork, and how will Texans see those results?
3. If Internet access service is no longer taxable, how are you planning to replace or absorb that revenue so local services do not get crowded out?

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