NTIA Awards $277M in Grants to Expand Broadband Infrastructure

The Department of Commerce’s National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) awarded 13 grants as part of the Broadband Infrastructure Program. These grants, totaling more than $277 million, will be used to connect more than 133,000 unserved households. The grants were awarded to 12 states and one territory: Georgia, Guam, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maine, Mississippi, Missouri, Nevada, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, Texas, Washington, and West Virginia. The Broadband Infrastructure Program, which was funded by the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2021, was designed to support broadband infrastructure deployment in unserved areas, especially rural areas. Funding projects will:

1. serve 5,448 households across Lumpkin County, Georgia, as well as 193 businesses and 13 community anchor institutions within the proposed area;
2. bring qualifying broadband to 10,000 unserved households across Guam;
3. construct fiber to serve 5,351 unserved households in Scott County, Kentucky;
4. bring qualifying broadband to 22,196 unserved households across the Acadiana region of Louisiana;
5. bring qualifying broadband to 11,746 unserved households across Maine;
6. bring qualifying broadband to a total of 12,487 unserved households across ten counties in Mississippi;
7. bring qualifying broadband to 13,094 unserved households with up to 1/1 Gbps service in 12 counties in Missouri;
8. bring qualifying broadband to 5,568 unserved households, 169 businesses, and 21 anchor institutions in Elko County, Nevada;
9. bring qualifying broadband to 15,256 unserved households across Lenoir County, North Carolina;
10. deliver fixed wireless technology to 7,261 unserved households in six counties in the Southern Alleghenies region of Pennsylvania;
11. provide last mile, fiber broadband service to 5,254 households, 158 businesses, and 2 community anchor institutes for a total of 5,414 locations in sections of Sabine County, Texas, that are unserved;
12. bring broadband service to 7,196 unserved households in five rural counties in Washington; and 
13. bring qualifying broadband to 12,859 unserved households in Logan County and Mingo County, West Virginia.