Biden-Harris Administration Awards More Than $5.5 Million to North Dakota in ‘Internet for All’ Planning Grants

The Department of Commerce’s National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) announced that North Dakota received its first “Internet for All” grants for deploying high-speed Internet networks and developing digital skills training programs. North Dakota is receiving $5,516,380 in funding from the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act to plan for the deployment and adoption of affordable, equitable, and reliable high-speed Internet service throughout the state. North Dakota will receive $5,000,000 for:

• Supporting the state’s Broadband North Dakota project, including a 5-year action plan identifying North Dakota’s Internet access, affordability, equity, and adoption needs;
• Identification of unserved and underserved locations;
• Increasing capacity of broadband office;
• Asset mapping across North Dakota to catalog high-speed Internet service adoption, affordability, equity, access and deployment activities;
• Conducting community surveys to better understand barriers to high-speed Internet service adoption.

North Dakota will also receive $516,380 for:

• Development of a statewide digital equity plan;
• Recruiting and developing staff;
• Engaging community members and stakeholders in plan development.