About BroadbandUSA
Broadband is an essential component of modern life and a requirement for economic growth, education, health care, and public safety. Maximizing broadband coverage and meaningful use is an imperative for national and individual success. The BroadbandUSA program, housed within the National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA), serves state, local, and Tribal governments, industry, and nonprofits that seek to expand broadband connectivity and promote digital inclusion. BroadbandUSA promotes planning and funding efforts through solution-neutral guides and resources, hosting local and regional planning workshops that offer opportunities to convene with broadband stakeholders across the country, the National Broadband Availability Map (NBAM), and promoting interagency coordination.
BroadbandUSA provides guidance to help communities expand their broadband capacity and promote digital inclusion. We bring stakeholders together to solve problems, contribute to emerging policies, link communities to other federal agencies and funding sources, and promote collaboration across agencies that fund broadband. These efforts equip state, local, and tribal leaders to make key decisions on how to use broadband to advance their overarching goals – ranging from economic development, job creation, improving educational outcomes, and increasing health care delivery and public safety.
Resources and information available through BBUSA Include:
Funding Programs: BroadbandUSA provides information and guidance regarding NTIA grant programs including the Broadband Equity, Access, and Deployment Program, Digital Equity Act Programs, the Middle Mile Program, Tribal Broadband Connectivity Grant Program, the Broadband Infrastructure Deployment Grant Program, and the Connecting Minority Communities Pilot Program.
Technical Assistance Hub: The Technical Assistance Program provides guidance to grantees on how to use their funding efficiently and promote project implementation success, as well as providing federal grants compliance support. The Technical Assistance Resource Hub is a one-stop shop that includes information such as FAQs, NOFOs, and programmatic resources.
Guides and Tools: BroadbandUSA provides resources that incorporate field-tested best practices from BroadbandUSA’s work, including infographics and handouts that illustrate the importance of broadband, provide broadband planning guidance, and share information about BroadbandUSA services.
Cohorts: BroadbandUSA facilitates the State Broadband Leaders Network (SBLN), the Digital Equity Leaders Network (DELN), and the Tribal Broadband Leaders Network (TBLN). These networks are cohorts of state, local, and tribal government officials that focus on state level broadband efforts and state, local, and Tribal level digital inclusion efforts.
Events and Workshops: BroadbandUSA holds events that bring together federal, state, local, and tribal officials, community leaders, industry executives, nonprofits, and other key broadband stakeholders to share real-world broadband success stories and lessons learned. BroadbandUSA tailors speakers and topics to local needs and gains a better understanding of the challenges local projects are facing.
Webinars: BroadbandUSA offers virtual learning events to share information about practical broadband issues and new initiatives, as well as provide group technical assistance and connect stakeholders between events.
Interagency Coordination: NTIA led the federal government’s interagency coordination efforts to promote a whole-of-government approach to connect everyone to affordable, reliable, high-speed Internet; align on common policies and practices; and fulfill statutory coordination activities.
About NTIA
The National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA), located within the Department of Commerce, is the Executive Branch agency principally responsible by law for advising the President on telecommunications and information policy issues. NTIA’s programs and policymaking focus largely on expanding broadband Internet access and adoption in America, expanding the use of spectrum by all users, and ensuring that the Internet remains an engine for continued innovation and economic growth. These goals are critical to America’s competitiveness in the 21st century global economy and to addressing many of the nation’s most pressing needs, such as improving education, health care, and public safety.
To learn more about NTIA visit NTIA.gov.
About OICG
Office of Internet Connectivity and Growth, through the ACCESS BROADBAND Act: The Office of Internet Connectivity and Growth (OICG), which is housed within the Department of Commerce’s National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA), strives to achieve digital equity and ensure universal broadband access. OICG envisions an equitable and inclusive future where everyone in America is connected to affordable, reliable, high-speed Internet service; enabling each person to fully participate in the modern, digital society by accessing opportunities and information only available online.
To learn more about OICG read the 2023 OICG Annual Report.
About OMBI
Office of Minority Broadband Initiatives: NTIA established the Office of Minority Broadband Initiatives (OMBI) within OICG, as directed by the CAA. Through OMBI, NTIA directly addresses the lack of broadband access, connectivity, adoption and equity among Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs), Hispanic Serving Institutions (HSIs), Tribal Colleges and Universities (TCUs) and Minority Serving Institutions (MSIs), and in their surrounding anchor communities in the United States.
The NTIA Minority Broadband Initiative is part of NTIA’s initiative to increase minority stakeholder engagement around solving broadband access challenges in vulnerable communities. In 2019 NTIA launched the MBI to ensure all Americans can participate in the digital economy. NTIA is working with Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) and Tribal Colleges and Universities (TCUs), in recognition of their role as anchor institutions in many communities, and their potential to become “hubs” for broadband deployment, use, and application.
To learn more about OMBI read the Office of Minority Broadband Initiatives FY2023 Annual Report.