Biden-Harris Administration Announces More Than $73 Million in High-Speed Internet Grants for Tribal Lands

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:

Wednesday, November 30, 2022

News Media Contact:

NTIA, Office of Public Affairs, (202) 482-7002, press@ntia.gov

With Funding from the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, $73 Million Awarded to Nine Tribal Entities in Latest Round of “Internet for All” Grants  

WASHINGTON – The Department of Commerce’s National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) announced today it has awarded nine grants as part of the Tribal Broadband Connectivity Program (TBCP). These new grants, totaling more than $73 million, bring the total of the program to $1.655 billion awarded to 121 Tribal entities. With funding from the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, also known as the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, these grants will expand high-speed Internet service network deployment and digital skills training to improve access to education, jobs, and healthcare on Tribal lands.

NTIA announced the awards today at the 2022 White House Tribal Nations Summit held at the Department of Interior in Washington, D.C.

“The Biden administration is committed to fostering meaningful partnerships with Tribal Nations, which have been vital to our goal of connecting everyone in America, including American Indians and Natives, with affordable, reliable, high-speed Internet service,” said Secretary of Commerce Gina Raimondo. “These grants – made possible by the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law – highlight the Biden administration’s unprecedented commitment to closing the digital divide in Native communities.”

Tribes in six states received grants – California, Colorado, Massachusetts, New Mexico, Nevada, and Washington.

These awards are part of the Biden Administration’s commitment to nation-to-nation engagement and an effort to connect everyone in America, including Native Americans and Alaskan Natives, to affordable, reliable, high-speed Internet service. 

The projects funded by these awards will directly connect 3,107 unserved Native American households that previously had no connectivity to high-speed Internet as well as businesses and anchor institutions. Additionally, the nine grants will create 49 new jobs. Additional grant awards will be announced on a rolling basis.

The Tribal Broadband Connectivity Program is a nearly $3 billion grant program and part of the Biden-Harris Administration’s Internet for All Initiative. The funds are made available from President Biden’s Bipartisan Infrastructure Law ($2 billion) and the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2021 ($980 million).

Nearly $2 billion in funding is being made available as part of the Notice of Funding Opportunity announced in June 2021. An additional Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO) for $1 billion in funds from the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law will be announced in the coming months. NTIA held three Tribal Consultations with Tribal leaders to solicit their input on the upcoming NOFO.

Internet for All 

The Bipartisan Infrastructure Law includes a historic $65 billion investment to expand affordable and reliable high-speed Internet access in communities across the U.S. NTIA recently launched a series of new high-speed Internet grant programs funded by the law that will build high-speed Internet infrastructure across the country, create more low-cost high-speed Internet service options, and address the digital equity and inclusion needs in our communities. 

Additionally, the Federal Communications Commission’s Affordable Connectivity Program provides a discount of up to $30 per month toward Internet service for eligible households and up to $75 per month for households on qualifying Tribal lands. Visit AffordableConnectivity.gov to learn more.

For more information on the Biden-Harris Administration’s high-speed Internet service programs as well as quotes from the awardees, please visit InternetforAll.gov. 

Applicant	Location	Type of Project	Funding Amount	Brief Description
Upper Skagit Indian Tribe	WA	Broadband Infrastructure Deployment	$1,507,589.86	The Broadband Infrastructure Deployment project proposes to install fiber directly connecting 76 unserved Native American households to qualifying broadband service with up to 1 Gbps symmetrical speeds.
Duckwater Shoshone Tribe	NV	Broadband Infrastructure Deployment	$3,482,070.00	The Broadband Infrastructure Deployment project proposes to install fiber directly connecting 78 unserved Native American households and 11 Tribal anchor institutions with a minimum of 100 Mbps symmetrical fiber to the home service.
Lone Pine Paiute-Shoshone Reservation	CA	Broadband Infrastructure Deployment	$1,866,081.00	The Broadband Infrastructure Deployment project proposes to install fiber and fixed wireless to directly connect 39 unserved Tribal households, 6 unserved Tribal businesses, and 10 unserved Tribal community anchor institutions with qualifying broadband service between 25/3 Mbps and100/20 Mbps.
Southern Ute Indian Tribe	CO	Broadband Infrastructure Deployment	$43,704,180.59	The Broadband Infrastructure Deployment project proposes to install fiber directly connecting 1798 unserved Native American households, 14 businesses, and 16 anchor institutions with service of at least 250 Mbps symmetrical.
La Jolla Band of Luiseno Indians	CA	Planning, Feasibility, and Sustainability Studies	$829,239.00	This Planning, Feasibility, and Sustainability Studies project will identify the network requirements that will guarantee affordable and reliable broadband services and achieve a deployment-ready project.
Mashpee Wampanoag Tribe	MA	Broadband Infrastructure Deployment	$9,130,691.63	The Broadband Infrastructure Deployment project proposes to install fiber directly connecting 130 unserved Tribal households, 2 unserved Tribal businesses, and 3 unserved Tribal community anchor institutions with 25/3 Mbps qualifying broadband service.
Walker River Paiute Tribe	NV	Broadband Infrastructure Deployment	$6,476,858.21	The Broadband Infrastructure Deployment project proposes to install fiber directly connecting 418 unserved Native American households, 22 community anchor institutions, and 10 Tribal businesses with speeds from 25/3 Mbps up100/10 Mbps.
San Ildefonso Services	NM	Broadband Infrastructure Deployment	$4,925,582.00	The Broadband Infrastructure Deployment project proposes to install fiber and fixed wireless to directly connect 255 unserved Native American households with qualifying broadband service with up to 1000 Mbps symmetrical speeds.
Fallon Paiute Shoshone Tribe	NV	Broadband Infrastructure Deployment	$1,669,771.00	The Broadband Infrastructure Deployment project proposes to install fiber and fixed wireless to directly connect 313unserved Native American households with a minimum of 250/50 Mbps fiber to the home service and 100/20 Mbps wireless service.