Biden-Harris Administration Awards Nearly $1.25 Million to the US Virgin Islands for ‘Internet for All’ Planning Grant

The Department of Commerce’s National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) granted the US Virgin Islands (USVI) 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. USVI is receiving $1.25 million in funding from the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA) to plan for the deployment and adoption of affordable, equitable, and reliable high-speed internet service throughout the territory. USVI will receive $1,249,952.00 from the Broadband Equity, Access, and Deployment (BEAD) program to fund various activities including:

• Increasing capacity of a broadband office that oversees broadband programs and deployment;  
• Supporting the development of a Five-Year Action plan to close the digital divide and ensure every Virgin Islander can participate in online educational offerings, access telehealth care, and thrive in the digital economy;  
• Research and data collection to identify unserved and underserved locations as well as catalogue broadband adoption, affordability, equity, and access to better understand barriers to adoption;   
• Providing technical assistance to potential subgrantees, including through workshops and events.

USVI will receive $150,000 from the Digital Equity Act to fund various activities to support closing the digital equity gap including: 

• The development of a Territory Digital Equity Plan that will benefit USVI and its principally unserved and underserved covered populations;  
• Conducting data collection and analysis, digital inclusion asset mapping and stakeholder engagement;  
• Staff recruitment and development.