The National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) will make up to $980,000,000 available as grants under the Federal Tribal Connectivity Program for Tribal Governments and organizations, and other eligible entities, to expand access to and adoption of: (i) broadband service on Tribal Land; or (ii) for programs that promote the use of broadband to access remote learning, telework, or telehealth resources during the COVID-19 pandemic. 

NTIA expects to make awards under this program within the following funding ranges:

• Broadband Infrastructure Deployment Projects: $1,000,000 to $50,000,000.
• Broadband Adoption and Use Projects: $50,000 to $2,500,000.

Broadband Infrastructure Deployment Projects include deployment of new broadband infrastructure, replacement of antiquated infrastructure, or extension of existing infrastructure such as cable, fiber, wireless, fixed wireless, and satellite. However, if an applicant is not at the stage where it can submit a broadband construction project proposal, NTIA will accept proposals to conduct planning, engineering, feasibility, or sustainability studies as part of the necessary steps to develop a technological solution for broadband deployment. 

Broadband Use and Adoption Projects must have at least one of the following purposes:

• Providing broadband education, awareness, training, access, equipment and support to Native service institutions such as schools, libraries, medical and healthcare providers, Tribal colleges, public housing, workforce facilities and other community support organizations serving Native populations;
• Providing affordable broadband programs to Native communities, including free or reduced-cost broadband service and preventing disconnection of existing broadband service;
• Improving access to, and use of, broadband services by Native anchor institutions to deliver telehealth, remote learning, digital inclusion, and workforce development programs;
• Stimulating the adoption and use of broadband services by Native communities for telehealth, remote learning, telework and entrepreneurship, economic growth, and job creation;
• Building digital skills and workforce capacity in Native communities;
• Assessing Native community needs and conduct planning related to online education, telehealth, digital inclusion, workforce and digital skills development; and/or
• Gathering data and conducting evaluations of the digital inclusion and broadband adoption programs funded by the grant to determine their effectiveness and develop best practices to facilitate digital inclusion and broadband adoption by Native communities on Tribal Lands. 

DEADLINE: Applications must be submitted not later than 11:59 p.m. Pacific Daylight Time (PDT) on September 1, 2021.

For more information contact Sara Dutschke.