The NTIA recently awarded grants totaling more than $74 million to 28 Tribal entities as part of the Tribal Broadband Connectivity Program (TBCP). With funding from the bipartisan Infrastructure Law, these new grants bring the total of the program to more than $1.86 billion awarded to 226 Tribal entities.
The money from the administration’s Internet for All initiative will help connect Tribal households and businesses to high-speed internet service, plan for future internet infrastructure investments, and upgrade network equipment. The latest grants cover projects in Alaska, Arizona, California, Michigan, Nevada, North Dakota, Oklahoma, Oregon, Utah, Washington and Wisconsin.
These grants fulfill the TBCP’s equitable distribution requirement. This process is intended to ensure that program funding is available to all eligible federally recognized Tribal governments who had a qualifying application. The grants (listed here) enable Tribal communities to move forward in planning for future high-speed internet infrastructure projects or promoting internet use and adoption.
“Internet access allows us to attend medical appointments, sell products and services across the globe, and further our education. But too many members of Tribal communities are cut off from this essential service,” said Secretary of Commerce Gina Raimondo. “These grants will bring us closer to closing the digital divide and ensure that Tribal communities are connected to the Internet and everything it has to offer.”
In July, NTIA announced a second Notice of Funding Opportunity for an additional $970 million in funding from the TBCP program. Applications must be submitted by 11:59 p.m. ET on January 23, 2024.
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