Biden-Harris Administration Awards More Than $4.9 Million to Idaho in ‘Internet for All’ Planning Grants

The Department of Commerce’s National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) is awarding Idaho its first “Internet for All” grants for deploying high-speed Internet networks and developing digital skills training programs under the Biden-Harris Administration’s Internet for All initiative. Idaho is receiving $4,940,793.09 in funding to plan for the deployment and adoption of affordable, equitable, and reliable high-speed Internet throughout the state. Idaho will receive $4,376,087.09 to fund the following:

• Identification of unserved and underserved locations;
• Outreach to diverse stakeholders across all entities and geographies within the state;
• Increase capacity to implement BEAD grants and build infrastructure throughout Idaho.
• Build a broadband infrastructure map for the State of Idaho
• Asset mapping across the Eligible Entity to catalog broadband adoption, affordability, access, and deployment activities;
• Surveys of unserved, underserved, and underrepresented communities to better understand barriers to adoption;
• Efforts to support local coordination including capacity building at the local and regional levels.

Idaho will receive an additional $564,706.00 to fund:

• Development of a Statewide Digital Access Plan;
• Community and stakeholder engagement;
• Data collection and analysis of barriers to high-speed Internet adoption.