Building Digital Capacity in the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands

The Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands (CNMI) Broadband Policy and Development (BPD) Office was created in 2023 with a commitment to addressing the internet infrastructure challenges in CNMI. Under this commitment, the CNMI BPD Office assumed the responsibility of spearheading CNMI's efforts to secure federal support, like the National Telecommunications and Information Administration's Digital Equity Capacity Grant, and coordinate the effective utilization of broadband funding for residents. On December 5, 2024, the National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) awarded the BPD Office over $2 million in Digital Equity Capacity funding to implement the CNMI Digital Equity Plan. CNMI will use this funding to:

• Initiate discussions with telehealth and telecommunications providers to establish a robust telehealth network connecting Saipan, Tinian, Rota, and the Northern Islands; and
• Form a working group with at least one representative from each school district to assess the current Internet technology (IT) curriculum.

Here is a look at the full slate of implementation activities that the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands' BPD Office outlined in its plan.