Resource Database

The year-end omnibus legislation included several broadband and connectivity expansion bills. The following will be implemented by NTIA.

Three new grant programs:

1. Tribal BroadbandConnectivity Program. A $1 billion 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.

2. Broadband Infrastructure Program. A $300 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.

3. Connecting Minority Communities Pilot Program. A $285 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 Foundation for Rural Service (FRS), in cooperation with NTCA. The Rural Broadband Association, seeks to sustain and enhance the quality of life in America by advancing an understanding of rural issues. FRS provides a variety of programs, ranging from youth-based initiatives and educational materials to consumer awareness and rural economic development. To fulfill its mission, FRS develops and disseminates information about rural telecom issues and encourages the support of community-based telecom providers and the communities they serve. FRS also provides annual grants for programs in rural communities to support local efforts to build and sustain a high quality of life in rural America.

Mobile Beacon is dedicated to providing affordable, mobile, high-speed internet access to schools, libraries, and nonprofits so they can better carry out their missions.

The NTIA administers grant programs that further the deployment and use of broadband and other technologies in America, laying the groundwork for sustainable economic growth; improved education, public safety, and health care; and the advancement of other national priorities.

This resource assists public officials, planners, citizen groups and other stakeholders in making their broadband project the best it can be. The core of the toolkit is a six-step approach to creating a roadmap, designed to work with projects of all sizes. It includes best practices identified by BTOP grantees, as well as nine case studies of how different states, counties, tribes, towns and non-government organizations implemented these best practices.