The Benton Institute for Broadband & Society reports…

This week, Congress passed the Servicemember Quality of Life Improvement and National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2025, this year’s version of the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA). The law authorizes $895.2 billion for Department of Defense programs, defense-related activities, and national security programs in the Department of Energy and the Defense Nuclear Facilities Safety Board. Included in the law are provisions to rural telecommunications networks more secure and internet access service affordable for members of the armed service while addressing issues around artificial intelligence and cybersecurity.

This includes…

Free Internet Access for Members of the Armed Forces

The Servicemember Quality of Life Improvement and National Defense Authorization Act amends existing law to allow military departments to provide members of the armed services that reside in “military unaccompanied housing” (think a barracks or a dormitory not suitable for a dependant).

Within three months, the Secretary of Defense will issue a guidance to implement this new policy, ensuring that service members have reasonable access to 100/20 Megabits per second (Mbps) broadband internet access service that maximizes access to individual rooms and spaces with appropriate restrictions.

Internet access can play a vital role in service members’ lives including distance education for professional military education.