National Telecommunications and Information Administration
Making Internet for All in America: The Next Steps
Following President Biden’s State of the Union Address in January 2023, the National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) announced that it would take a strict approach to enforcing Build America, Buy America requirements for the Broadband Equity, Access, and Deployment (BEAD) Program. Now we’re ready to provide more specifics.
What's a High-Cost Area for BEAD and ACP?
The Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act directed the National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) to determine how much each state is to receive in Broadband Equity, Access, and Deployment (BEAD) Program funding based on the number of locations in their state unserved by high-speed internet service. One component in the allocation is a determination of the number of “high cost” unserved locations in each state divided by the nationwide total of high-cost unserved locations. Congress also tasked NTIA with defining what “high-cost areas” are.
Case Study: Verizon and the Communications Workers of America (CWA) Training Program
The world is facing a pressing need for a skilled workforce that can meet the demands of the 21st-century economy. That’s where workforce development comes in. The National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) has created the Telecommunications Training and Workforce Development Best Practice Checklist to help support Eligible Entities as they’re developing their Broadband Equity, Access, and Deployment (BEAD) workforce plans. Verizon and the Communications Workers of America (CWA) have collective bargaining agreements in place that, among other things, provide for high-
Biden-Harris Administration Announces Nearly $1 Billion in New Internet for All Funding Available to Tribal Lands
The Department of Commerce’s National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) announced the availability of nearly $1 billion in funding to expand Internet access and adoption on Tribal Lands. This second round of funding from the Internet for All initiative’s Tribal Broadband Connectivity Program (TBCP) will make up to approximately $980 million available for Native American, Alaska Native, and Native Hawaiian communities for the deployment of Internet infras
Biden-Harris Administration Commits Nearly $4 Million to Tribal Lands
The Department of Commerce’s National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) announced it has awarded eight grants totaling $3,998,000 to eight Tribes as part of the Tribal Broadband Connectivity Program (TBCP). This funding from will help Tribes reduce monthly Internet service costs, plan for future Internet infrastructure investments, upgrade network equipment, and purchase devices. The winning Tribes are as follows:
BEAD Program Initial Proposal Guidance
The Initial Proposal is the “first draft” of an Eligible Entity’s Final Proposal for Broadband Equity, Access, and Deployment (BEAD) Program grant funding, and, among other things, should explain how States and Territories will ensure that every resident has access to a reliable, affordable, and high-speed broadband connection, drawing on all funding available to accomplish this goal, including but not limited to BEAD Program funds.
A Roadmap for Digital Equity Across America
President Joe Biden (D) announced a milestone in the Internet for All funding from our $42 billion Broadband Equity, Access, and Deployment—or BEAD—program. Florida will receive over $1.1 billion to bring high-speed Internet service to every home and business within its borders. However, it is not enough to simply deploy Internet infrastructure. A connection to a family’s home doesn’t help if that family can’t afford Internet service.
Tailoring the Application of the Uniform Guidance to the BEAD Program
The Office of Management and Budget (OMB) released the Uniform Administrative Requirements, Cost Principles, and Audit Requirements for Federal Awards (Uniform Guidance) on December 26, 2013, which consolidated eight existing Federal circulars into a single guidance document. The Uniform Guidance streamlined and eased administrative burdens across the Federal Government in the administration of Federal financial assistance programs, thus increasing the efficiency and effectiveness of Federal awards, while also strengthening oversight over Federal funds to prevent waste, fraud, and abuse.
NTIA Promotes 5G Supplier Diversity At Home and Abroad
Right now, the wireless network equipment market is highly consolidated, with just a few companies supplying the equipment necessary to support a network. But Open Radio Access Networks, or Open RAN, would unlock that system to allow different companies to compete to supply equipment for different parts of the network. The US Government believes in the promise of these networks.