Tribal Broadband Connectivity Program

The Department of Commerce’s National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA)awarded grants totaling $8,394,947.57 to 17 Tribes as part of the Tribal Broadband Connectivity Program: 

When it comes to wiring Mississippi, the state is betting on co-ops and small telecommunications companies.

Since 2019, Governor Brad Little (R-ID) and the Idaho legislature have taken many steps to improve broadband access in the state. Through investment of federal and state funding, Idaho has been able to connect tens of thousands of underserved households in the state, the majority of which are in rural communities of less than 3,000 residents. Policymakers there have primarily focused on the digital divide between urban and rural areas. Inadequate access to high-speed internet disadvantages Idahoans who choose to live in rural parts of our state.

On June 3, President Joe Biden signed the Fiscal Responsibility Act of 2023, which suspends the debt ceiling through January 1, 2025—and increases the limit on January 2, 2025—while establishing new discretionary spending limits and rescinding certain unobligated funds.

On May 8, 2023, the National Telecommunications and Information Administration's Office of Internet Connectivity and Growth released its second annual report

 The Department of Commerce’s National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) awarded grants totaling $4.5 million to 9 Tribes as part of the Tribal Broadband Connectivity Program (TBCP). These grants will help reduce monthly Internet service costs, plan for future Internet infrastructure investments, upgrade network equipment, and purchase devices.

The House Commerce Committee's Subcommittee on Communications and Technology convened to conduct oversight of the U.S. Department of Commerce's National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA). The subcommittee is considering reauthorizing NTIA for the first time since 1993. Key questions leading into the hearing included:

The Office of Internet Connectivity and Growth (OICG) is housed within the Department of Commerce’s National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA). Congress created OICG in the ACCESS BROADBAND Act of 2021, part of the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2021, to oversee all broadband activity at NTIA and lead federal efforts to fund and expand broadband access across the country.

The Department of Commerce’s National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) has awarded grants totaling $4,997,592.68 to ten Tribes as part of the Tribal Broadband Connectivity Program (TBCP). With funding from the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA), these new grants bring the total of the program to over $1.77 billion awarded to 157 Tribal entities. These grants will help reduce monthly Internet service costs, plan for future Internet infrastructure investments, upgrade network equipment, and purchase devices.

President Joe Biden (D-DE) signed the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA)  18 months ago. To date, the Administration has announced over $220 billion in IIJA funding, including over 32,000 specific projects and awards, across over 4,500 communities in all 50 states, DC, and territories. To implement the law, agencies have now hired over 5,000 federal employees, and states and territories have appointed infrastructure coordinators to facilitate clear communication and coordination with the federal government.