The Department of Commerce’s National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) has announced a second round of funding of nearly $1 billion to expand Internet access and adoption on Tribal Lands.
The latest round of funding – which is part of the Internet for All initiative’s Tribal Broadband Connectivity Program (TBCP) – will make $980 million available to Tribal communities for the deployment of Internet infrastructure on Tribal Lands for affordability programs, telehealth, and distance learning initiatives.
“These investments will provide new opportunities for Tribal communities to participate in telehealth, online education, remote work, and countless other benefits that Internet access can bring,” Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo said in a press release. “Through President Biden’s Investing in America Agenda, we are providing the resources necessary to deploy high-quality, high-speed Internet service across Tribal Lands.”
For this round of funding, NTIA expects to make awards ranging from $1 million to $50 million for high-speed internet infrastructure deployment projects proposed by a single applicant, and awards of $100,000 to $2.5 million for high-speed internet adoption and use projects.
To date, the program has awarded $1.78 billion to 191 Tribal entities. TBCP was established in 2021 to expand internet access to Tribal Lands to improve quality of life, spur economic development, and create opportunities for remote employment, online entrepreneurship, remote learning, and telehealth for Tribal communities.
Applications for the new round of funding are due within 180 days of publication of the NTIA notice via Grants.gov.
