Rural Coverage Policy: Towers, Subsidies and Satellites
How do governments' rural coverage programmes interact with direct-to-device, and could public money shift from towers to satellites?
Chapter summary
Governments spend billions to extend mobile and broadband coverage to rural areas.
Key takeaways
- 1
In the United States, the Broadband Equity, Access and Deployment programme (BEAD) of $42.45 billion was restructured in 2025 to be "technology neutral", allowing more satellite broadband; the FCC's planned rural 5G support programme has been debated for years.
- 2
The UK's Shared Rural Network, about £1 billion of public and operator money, aimed for 95% geographic 4G coverage.
- 3
Australia funds mobile black-spot programmes.
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