The State Broadband Leaders Network is a community of practitioners who work on state broadband initiatives.
The State Broadband Leaders Network
The State Broadband Leaders Network is a community of practitioners who work on state broadband initiatives.
Information about NTIA’s grant programs.
An overview of the importance of high-speed internet and federal broadband grant programs.
Information about the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act and Consolidated Appropriations Act Grant Programs.
Broadband Equity, Access, and Deployment (BEAD) Program
Provides $42.45 billion to expand high-speed internet access by funding planning, infrastructure deployment and adoption programs in all 50 states, Washington D.C., Puerto Rico, the U.S. Virgin Islands, Guam, American Samoa, and the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands.
Enabling Middle Mile Broadband Infrastructure
Provide The Middle Mile Grant Program provides funding for the expansion and extension of middle mile infrastructure across U.S. states and territories. In total, the program allocated $980 million to fund projects for the construction, improvement, or acquisition of middle mile infrastructure covering more than 370 counties across 40 states and Puerto Rico in Summer 2023. The ultimate purpose of this funding is to expand and strengthen U.S. high-speed Internet networks by reducing the cost of connecting areas that are unserved or underserved to the Internet backbone.
Provides $2.75 billion to establish three grant programs that promote digital equity and inclusion. They aim to ensure that all people and communities have the skills, technology, and capacity needed to reap the full benefits of our digital economy.
Broadband Infrastructure Program
$288 million broadband deployment program directed to partnerships between a state, or one or more political subdivisions of a state, and providers of fixed broadband service to support broadband infrastructure deployment to areas lacking broadband, especially rural areas.
Tribal Broadband Connectivity Program
$980 million program directed to tribal governments to be used for broadband deployment on tribal lands, as well as for telehealth, distance learning, broadband affordability, and digital inclusion.
Connecting Minority Communities Pilot Program
$268 million grant program to Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs), Tribal Colleges and Universities (TCUs), and Minority-Serving Institutions (MSIs) for the purchase of broadband internet access service and eligible equipment or to hire and train information technology personnel.
The following planning resources can enhance broadband connectivity and promote digital inclusion.
Technical Assistance
For technical assistance resources, please visit our BEAD and Digital Equity program pages.
State Broadband Office Resources
The following resources are designed to help states increase capacity of their broadband offices.
- Broadband 101: Introductory presentation on broadband technologies, key terms and economics and can be used by state broadband offices to introduce new staff or other relevant groups to the telecommunications industry.
- Office Creation Toolkit: Includes examples and best practices for each step in the Office Creation checklist.
- Office Creation Checklist: Includes a recommended checklist of steps to establish a state high-speed internet office to be used in tandem with the Office Creation Toolkit.
Pre-NOFO Technical Assistance
These resources are intended to assist prospective applications prepare for BEAD, Middle Mile, and Digital Equity grant applications.
- IIJA Broadband Programs: This 2-pager provides a snapshot of all the broadband programs that NTIA is administering.
- State Preparation for Broadband Grant Programs: This resource provides a summary of how states should be preparing for the broadband programs.
- BEAD/DEA NOFO Preparation: This resource outlines specific ways states can prepare for the Notices of Funding Opportunity for the Broadband Equity, Access, and Deployment Program and Digital Equity Act Programs.
- Broadband Network Deployment Engineering: This resource provides an overview of broadband deployment engineering and looks at network architecture, infrastructure elements, business models, and technologies.
- Economics of Broadband Networks: This resource provides an overview of the challenges of deploying broadband, the economics of networks and important considerations.
- Planning a Stakeholder Engagement Strategy: This is the first of two resources designed to help states and localities develop a stakeholder engagement strategy.
- Setting Up Initial Stakeholder Engagement: This is the second of two resources designed to help states and localities develop a stakeholder engagement strategy.
- Broadband Policies & Mechanisms: This resource looks at right-of-way access, dig once for burial deployments, and pole attachment policies that could reduce construction costs and accelerate project deployment.
- Broadband Asset Mapping & Management: This resource looks at the process of collecting, organizing, and tracking data on relevant infrastructure assets that can be utilized for broadband deployment.
Other Resources
The following resources can help you identify broadband availability, other funding opportunities, and resources for local governments.
- Indicators of Broadband Need Map: Map of broadband availability within the United States.
- Federal Funding Resources: One-stop shop for federal funding opportunities for governments, industry, and community anchor institutions.
- State Funding Guide: State-specific funding opportunities for broadband.
- Local Government Resources: Local government specific resources and tools for broadband.
NTIA provides resources on funding, toolkits, guides, and state and local inclusion programs for digital inclusion and broadband.
Resources to help state and local governments expand their digital inclusion efforts.
Affordable Connectivity Program (ACP) Resource
Guidance for State Broadband Offices (SBOs) and local digital equity programs on supporting ACP enrollment.
Affordable Connectivity Program (ACP) Small Provider Participation Guide
Guidance and timeline designed to support small ISPs in signing up to offer ACP benefits to qualifying customers.
Digital Equity Guide for States
A comprehensive guide that includes the basic of digital equity, an overview of the Digital Equity Act and recommendations for weaving digital equity throughout all State-led broadband activities.
Below are links to other resources on BroadbandUSA.
How to identify partners for broadband planning and funding.
Find out about upcoming events and access information from past events.
This speed demonstration tool can provide information on data needs.