Office of Minority Broadband Initiatives FY2023 Annual Report

Through the Office of Minority Broadband Initiatives (OMBI), National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) directly addresses the lack of high-speed Internet access, connectivity, adoption, and equity at our nation’s Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs), Tribal Colleges and Universities (TCUs), and Minority Serving Institutions (MSIs). OMBI works through these anchor institutions to impact their surrounding anchor communities. Anchor institutions invest in their communities as a way of helping them join nationwide efforts to make sure no one is left out or left behind in terms of having access to high-speed Internet service. Congress has directed NTIA to provide grants through the Connecting Minority Communities (CMC) Pilot Program to HBCUs, TCUs, and MSIs. These grants facilitate educational instruction and learning, including through remote instruction. In addition, these grants support consortia including Minority Business Enterprises (MBEs) and tax-exempt 501(c)(3) organizations. This progress report provides context to OMBI’s mission to expand high-speed Internet access for anchor institutions and their underserved, minority communities. It also spotlights OMBI's pivotal role in advocating for and monitoring progress towards this objective. Additionally, and a key achievement in 2023, OMBI successfully launched the Connecting Minority Communities (CMC) Pilot Program.