The National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) awarded 23 grants as part of the Tribal Broadband Connectivity Program (TBCP). These new grants, totaling more than $601.6 million, bring the total of the program to $1.35 billion awarded to 94 Tribal entities.
The projects funded by these awards will directly connect 42,268 unserved Native American households that previously had no connectivity to high-speed Internet as well as businesses and anchor institutions.
“We are making an historic investment in Tribal communities to ensure reliable, affordable high-speed Internet for all,” said Secretary of Commerce Gina Raimondo. “These grants – made possible by the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law – underscore President Biden’s commitment to closing the digital divide in the United States, especially within Tribal lands. Today’s awards will not only build high-speed Internet capacity within Tribal Nations, but also bring digital opportunities for good-paying jobs, education, and healthcare.”
The Tribal Broadband Connectivity Program is a nearly $3 billion grant program and part of the Biden-Harris Administration’s Internet for All Initiative. The funds are made available from the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2021 ($980 million) and President Biden’s Bipartisan Infrastructure Law ($2 billion). Additional grants will be announced on a rolling basis this fall.
