Tribal Broadband Connectivity Program
The Tribal Broadband Connectivity Program (TBCP) is a $3 billion program, from the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act and the Consolidated Appropriations Act, to support Tribal governments bringing high-speed Internet to Tribal lands, including telehealth, distance learning, affordability, and digital inclusion initiatives. The program seeks to improve quality of life, spur economic development, and create opportunities for remote employment, online entrepreneurship, remote learning, and telehealth by expanding broadband access and by providing digital training and inclusion programs to Native American communities.
This second round of funding from the Tribal Broadband Connectivity Program will make approximately $980 million available on Native American, Alaska Native and Native Hawaiian lands for deployment of Internet infrastructure, affordability programs, telehealth and distance learning initiatives.
The application window for this program closed on Sept. 1, 2021. NTIA is continuing to review the more than 280 applications submitted. We announced the first awards on November 16, 2021. We'll announce more awards on a rolling basis.
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Introducing the Tribal Broadband Planning Toolkit
A successful broadband project begins with a broadband plan, one that lays out the goals and path forward to enhance internet access and meaningful use within a target area or community. But there are many moving pieces involved in creating a broadband plan. BroadbandUSA’s Tribal Broadband Planning Toolkit aims to simplify the process for tribes. It provides the guidance, knowledge, and resources to design, implement, and then execute a broadband plan in tribal communities.
While this toolkit can be used at any time and for any broadband planning purpose – for NTIA or other programs – it comes at an especially opportune time: The Bipartisan Infrastructure Law (BIL) allocated an additional $2 billion and relaxed some of the program requirements to the Tribal Broadband Connectivity Program.
The toolkit outlines seven, common elements that serve as the building blocks of a tribal broadband plan. Designed for interactive use, each element has a dedicated worksheet and a tab in an accompanying, downloadable Excel-based template. The elements are:
Biden Administration Awards Nearly $77 Million to Expand Internet Access for Dozens of Tribes
WASHINGTON – Today, the Department of Commerce’s National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) announced that it has awarded 19 grants as part of the Tribal Broadband Connectivity Program. Andy Berke, NTIA’s Special Representative for Broadband, will announce the grants at an event today in the Gila River Indian Community in Arizona.
Department of Commerce Awards Nearly $1.2M to Tribes to Expand Internet Access
WASHINGTON – The Department of Commerce’s National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) announced today it has awarded four grants as part of the Tribal Broadband Connectivity Program. These grants, part of President Biden's commitment to ensuring all Americans have access to reliable, affordable, high-speed internet, total nearly $1.2 million and are being awarded in three states – California, Washington, and Wisconsin.