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BroadbandUSA Newsletter June 2021

Our Latest

$288 Million in Funding Available to States to Build Broadband Infrastructure

NTIA recently announced the availability of $288 million in grant funding for the deployment of broadband infrastructure. Grants will be awarded to covered partnerships between a state, or political subdivisions of a state, and providers of fixed broadband service.

NTIA’s Broadband Infrastructure Program was established by the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2021. In the priority order defined by the Act, NTIA will accept applications for projects that are designed to:

  1. Provide broadband service to the greatest number of households in an eligible service area;
  2. Provide broadband service in an eligible service area that is wholly within any area other than a county, city, or town with more than 50,000 inhabitants and the urbanized area contiguous and adjacent to a city or town of more than 50,000 inhabitants;
  3. Be the most cost-effective, prioritizing such projects in areas that are the most rural;
  4. Provide broadband service with a download speed of at least 100 Mbps and an upload speed of at least 20 Mbps;
  5. Meet the requirements of this NOFO.

More information about the program, including requirements for grant applications, can be found in the Notice of Funding Opportunity. NTIA is also holding a series of webinars to further inform the public about the program. The upcoming Broadband Infrastructure webinars will be held on June 9 and 10.

BroadbandUSA Webinars: Series on 2021 NTIA Grant Programs

Webinar Series: 2021 NTIA Grant Programs

Join us this month for webinars on the three NTIA grant programs: Broadband Infrastructure, Tribal Broadband Connectivity, and Connecting Minority Communities. The webinars provide an overview of the key issues for prospective applicants and an opportunity to ask questions in preparing your application. Please visit our website to register for the upcoming webinars or to view past webinars.

Impact Spotlight

NTIA’s NBAM Reaches 36 State Milestone

NTIA’s National Broadband Availability Map (NBAM) recently added Arizona, Idaho, Kansas, Maryland, Mississippi, and South Dakota to its growing roster of state participants. To date, the NBAM includes 36 states and four federal agencies: US Department of Agriculture (USDA), the Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA), the Economic Development Administration (EDA) and the Appalachian Regional Commission (ARC).

The NBAM is a geographic information system platform which allows for the visualization and analysis of federal, state, and commercially available data sets. Users of the NBAM, including administrators from the 36 participating states, can access the data to better inform broadband projects and funding decisions in their states.

Read more about the recent milestone here.

News & Updates

Federal Agency Updates

NTIA:

  • Commerce Department’s NTIA Announces $288 Million in Funding Available to States to Build Broadband Infrastructure | NTIA Newsroom
  • National Broadband Availability Map Now Has 36 State Participants | NTIA Blog

EDA:

  • U.S. Department of Commerce Invests $5.5 Million in Cares Act Recovery Assistance to Provide Business Capital and Boost Broadband Capacity in Texas | EDA
  • U.S. Department of Commerce Invests $1.2 Million in Cares Act Recovery Assistance to Expand Broadband Capacity in North Carolina | EDA
  • U.S. Department of Commerce Invests $880,640 in Cares Act Recovery Assistance to Boost Broadband Capacity in West Central Colorado | EDA
  • U.S. Department of Commerce Invests $1.9 Million in Cares Act Recovery Assistance to Boost Broadband Capacity in North Carolina | EDA
  • U.S. Department of Commerce Invests $500,000 in Cares Act Recovery Assistance to Support Broadband Planning in California’s Central Sierra Region | EDA

Education:

FCC: 

  • FCC to Launch $7.17 Billion Connectivity Fund Program, Providing Funding to Schools and Libraries Critical to Closing the Homework Gap | FCC
  • Emergency Broadband Benefit Program Offers Consumers Discounted Broadband Services and Computers During the COVID-19 Pandemic | FCC
  • Emergency Broadband Benefit Social Media Images | FCC

FirstNet:

  • FirstNet Cell Sites Launch in Northeastern Minnesota to Support First Responders | FirstNet
  • FirstNet Cell Site Launches in Garden Valley Area to Support First Responders | FirstNet

Labor:

  • U.S. Department of Labor Announces $3.5 Million Funding Opportunity to Place More Women in Registered Apprenticeships, Nontraditional Occupations | Labor
  • U.S. Department of Labor Announces Funding Opportunity to Support Workforce Training in Appalachian, Lower Mississippi Delta Communities | Labor

Treasury:

  • Capital Projects Fund | Treasury
  • Coronavirus State and Local Fiscal Recovery Funds, Interim Final Rule | Treasury

USDA:

  • Beaufort County Community College & USDA Rural Development Expanding the Reach of Higher Education | USDA

State News

  • Broadband Proved a Top Priority for State Policymakers in 2020 | PEW
  • Alabama: Governor Ivey Awards Nearly $17 Million to Provide Broadband Services to Alabama Communities | Office of the Governor, State of Alabama
  • Alaska:With Federal Funds Coming for Broadband, Governor Forms Task Force to Decide Spending | The Frontiersman
  • Arizona: New Arizona Law Sets Sights on Expanding Broadband Access | KTAR News
  • California: Newsom Proposes $7 Billion Expansion in Broadband Internet | Cal Matters
  • Florida: Gov. DeSantis signs Florida Broadband Expansion Law to Tackle Internet Access | WFLA
  • Idaho: Idaho Eyes Sewer, Water, Broadband with Federal Rescue Money | U.S. News
  • Indiana: Bill Prioritizing Broadband Access Now Law | The Tribune
  • Louisiana: LDAF Survey to Identify Broadband Challenges in Rural Areas | KATC News
  • Maine: Maine Proposes Huge Boost in Broadband Standards for Grants | Press Herald>
  • Montana: Gianforte Signs Broadband, Business Tax Bills | Montana Public Radio
  • New York: State Launching Rural Broadband Access Study to Map Out Underserved Areas to Get Them Served | The Daily Gazette
  • Ohio: DeWine Signs Bill Establishing Broadband Grant Program, Allocates $20 Million | The Columbus Dispatch
  • Vermont: Vermont Senate Backs $100 Million Broadband Bill | Seven Days
  • West Virginia: Legislators Get First Look at $138 Million Broadband Expansion Initiatives | West Virginia Gazette Mail

Tribal News

  • Rural, Native Communities Partner with Telecoms for Broadband | Government Technology
  • Mid-Band Spectrum Licenses Granted to Facilitate Providing Advanced Wireless Communications Like 5G to 40 Native Communities | FCC
  • New Mexico Examines Barriers to Navajo Internet Access | Government Technology
  • Tribal Officials Outline Infrastructure Gap ‘Big as the Grand Canyon’ During Congressional Subcommittee Hearing | KOLD News 13

NTIA's BroadbandUSA program promotes innovation and economic growth by supporting efforts to expand broadband connectivity and digital inclusion across America. In this role, BroadbandUSA serves state and local government, industry and non-profits that want to expand broadband infrastructure and promote digital inclusion.

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