The National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA), a division of the US Department of Commerce, recently distributed seven grants amounting to roughly $3.5 million. These funds were handed out to seven Tribal entities as a part of the Tribal Broadband Connectivity Programme (TBCP). Funded significantly by President Biden’s Internet for All Initiative, a component of The Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, the TBCP is a massive $3 billion initiative intended to deliver rapid internet to Tribal territories.
There is significant financial backing pledged to this initiative, with funding reaching an impressive $2 billion from The Bipartisan Infrastructure Law alone. An additional lump sum drawn from the Consolidated Appropriations Act swells these funds by a further $980 million, taking the whole subsidy closer to the cap of $3 billion.
The TBCP has been making headway since its launch in 2021, accumulating an impressive financial portfolio so far. Including the latest grant allocation, the scheme has awarded funds amounting to over $1.79 billion to 198 Tribal entities. Recent beneficiaries of these substantial grants include the Iowa Tribe of Oklahoma, which received $500,000 for the launch of a wireless site. Similarly, the Quileute Tribe of the Quileute Reservation in Washington received $466,902, which will be directed towards connecting unserved homes and businesses within their community.
Secretary of Commerce Gina Raimondo acknowledged the value that such an initiative brings to these communities. “President Biden’s Investing in America Agenda is helping to close the digital divide on tribal lands,” she noted. Echoing the aim of the programme, Raimondo added, “These grants will reduce barriers to Internet access for tribal communities across five states, connecting them to the education, good-paying jobs, and health care they need to succeed in our 21st-century economy.”
When you consider the overarching impact of these grants, the benefits are widespread and transformative. Expanding high-speed internet access throughout the US will fuel economic growth, enrich quality of life and create opportunities for remote learning and employment. The programme also aims to bolster access to telehealth services within Native American societies, truly making strides towards closing the digital divide.
