Tribal Broadband: Additional Assistance to Recipients Would Better Support Implementation of $3 Billion in Federal Grants

This report examines topics related to the  National Telecommunications and Information Administration's Tribal Broadband Connectivity Program (TBCP) including: (1) grants that reached Tribes that had not received previous federal broadband support; (2) the extent to which NTIA provided support to recipients on financial sustainability; and (3) the extent to which NTIA provided recipients with technical assistance in the environmental review process. Tribal leaders have hailed the TBCP as a once-in-a-generation opportunity to close the digital divide on their lands, areas that have long lagged behind the rest of the nation. However, many grant recipients reported in their applications that they plan to rely on ongoing federal support for the operational sustainability of their networks from sources that have since ended or are hard to access. Tribal recipients would benefit from additional NTIA assistance in identifying other sources of funding to support network operations and from NTIA outlining the financial sustainability needs to Congress. Without helping to ensure that recipients have achievable financial sustainability plans, NTIA risks the long-term success of this substantial investment in broadband infrastructure. In addition, Tribes seeking to build broadband networks have faced persistent challenges navigating the environmental review process. NTIA recognized that tribal recipients need assistance completing the environmental process and developed resources, but most are not located in one spot, like NTIA’s one-stop Technical Assistance Hub. By making these resources easily available on its website, tribal recipients— many of which are receiving federal broadband assistance for the first time—will be better positioned to plan for and complete the required environmental review process. According to recipients, the consequences for delay could be substantial—for example, a short delay could push back implementation a year as Tribes in Alaska face short construction seasons. GAO is making three recommendations to NTIA: (1) provide technical assistance to recipients that are unable to implement their financial sustainability plans, (2) report to Congress on the projects’ financial sustainability needs, and (3) consolidate technical assistance resources for the TBCP environmental review process in a single location. NTIA agreed with these recommendations.