- Details
- By Tribal Business News Staff
- Economic Development
The National Telecommunications and Information Administration has extended the deadline for two tribal broadband grant programs to Nov. 17, giving tribal governments and Native organizations 60 additional days to apply for federal funding.
The extension applies to the Tribal Broadband Connectivity Program and the Native Entities Grant Program. Assistant Secretary of Commerce for Communications and Information Arielle Roth announced the change during a July 28 visit to the Chickasaw Nation with House Appropriations Committee Chairman Tom Cole, R-Okla., where she toured broadband infrastructure and discussed the tribe's use of wireless, fiber and satellite technologies.
NTIA said the additional time will allow applicants to submit stronger proposals, better coordinate participation across federal broadband programs and maximize available funding, particularly in states where Broadband Equity, Access, and Deployment, or BEAD, plans have recently been approved.
The Tribal Broadband Connectivity Program provides funding to expand high‑speed internet access, affordability and digital inclusion in tribal communities. Congress initially appropriated $1 billion for the program through the Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2021, followed by an additional $2 billion through the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act.
The Native Entities Grant Program supports digital inclusion initiatives for eligible Native organizations under the Digital Equity Act.
