The Texas Broadband Development Office on Tuesday announced it is pausing all grants and contracts tied to the federal State Digital Equity Capacity Grant Program following uncertainty regarding the program’s future. The uncertainty, the Texas office said, emanates from the Trump administration’s NTIA office.
“Given this uncertainty, the BDO wants potential applicants to avoid investing significant time and resources into preparing applications until the office receives more clarity on the future of the program from the National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA),” a statement from the Texas Broadband Development Office said.
The program and its $1.44 billion total funds, made available through the Digital Equity Act in the 2021 infrastructure bill, were intended to help states close the digital divide by providing rural and low-income communities with access to reliable, high-speed internet service. The NTIA unveiled last March how the states, territories and tribal nations would split the first installment of digital equity funds, totaling $811 million, with Texas receiving more than $55 million.
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