Nearly $1 billion in U.S. Department of Commerce’s National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) grants are now available to expand broadband access and adoption on Tribal land.
The Tribal Broadband Connectivity Program was established by the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2021. Grants will be made available to eligible Native American, Alaska Native, and Native Hawaiian entities for broadband deployment as well as for digital inclusion, workforce development, telehealth, and distance learning.
“These investments will help many Native American, Alaskan Native and Native Hawaiian communities gain long-overdue access to life-saving technologies, economic opportunities, remote learning, and countless other benefits,” said Secretary Gina Raimondo. “This funding is an important step forward, but we cannot stop here. Access to broadband is as essential as electricity to our everyday life. Under President Biden’s American Jobs Plan, we will have the resources to deploy high-quality broadband infrastructure to every Tribal community.”
“For generations, a lack of infrastructure investment in Indian Country has left Tribes further behind in the digital divide than most areas of the country,” said Secretary Haaland. “We have a responsibility as a country to build infrastructure that will fuel economic development, keep communities safe, and ensure everyone has opportunities to succeed. Today’s announcement marks a major stepping stone in the Biden-Harris administration’s commitment to an all-of-government approach to ensure the federal government lives up to its responsibilities to Tribal communities.”
“We are excited to continue our work with Native American, Alaskan Native, and Native Hawaiian communities to make this program a success,” said Acting NTIA Administrator Evelyn Remaley. “NTIA will leverage its deep experience with funding broadband programs to ensure that we make significant progress in eliminating the digital divide on Tribal land.”
