American Samoa

BCORD Office Awarded Affordable Connectivity Outreach Grant

The Broadband Coordination, Opportunities, Redevelopment, and Deployment (BCORD) Office received Affordable Connectivity Outreach Grant Program (ACP Outreach Grant Program) funding (National Competitive Outreach Program - NCOP) and Round 2 funding from the Federal Communications Commission (FCC).

The BCORD Office was awarded $342,000 in funding under the ACP Outreach Grant NCOP Round 2 program, of which $4.3 million was available to eligible entities.

The Affordable Connectivity Program (ACP) subsidy ensures families can afford broadband services needed for work, school, and their daily lives.²⁴ The FCC established the ACP Outreach Grant Program to support outreach efforts that encourage engagement and participation in local communities for the ACP. The ACP gives eligible households a discount on their monthly Internet bills. The program also offers a one-time discount on a device purchased at a participating Internet Service Provider.

The FCC’s ACP forms an integral component of the diverse range of measures used by the federal government to tackle the digital divide. These measures are part of the Office of Internet Connectivity and Growth’s (OICG) overall strategy to connect everyone in America to high-speed Internet.

ASCC Awarded Connecting Minority Communities Grant

The American Samoa Community College (ASCC) received a Connecting Minority Communities (CMC) Pilot Program grant for its A’oa’oga Aso Nei Initiative (“Education of Today”). The initiative will bring major new improvements to the campus Internet service, technology loaning capabilities, and technical curriculum. CMC project activities include upgrading the campus Internet connection to a Gigabit-speed connection, creating an equipment lending program, developing a modern curriculum that will deliver both a plan for the coming decade, as well as a working pilot adding Information and Communication Technology (ICT) and/or computer science classes for both postsecondary and adult learners.

ASCC prepared the CMC grant with assistance from the American Samoa Department of Commerce and its BCORD Office under the supervision of Assistant Director Michael McDonald.

Establishing the Broadband Coordination Office

On March 7, 2023, Governor Lemanu P.S. Mauga issued an executive order to formally establish the Broadband Coordination, Opportunities, Redevelopment, and Deployment (BCORD) Office under the American Samoa Department of Commerce. The BCORD Office is responsible for administering American Samoa’s allocation via the Broadband Equity, Access, and Deployment (BEAD) Program.