Biden-Harris Administration Awards More Than $5.4 Million to Washington, D.C in ‘Internet for All’ Planning Grants

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

December 08, 2022

News Media Contact

NTIA, Office of Public Affairs

WASHINGTON – The Department of Commerce’s National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) announced that the District of Columbia received its first “Internet for All” grants for deploying high-speed Internet networks and developing digital skills training programs under the Biden-Harris Administration’s Internet for All initiative. The District of Columbia is receiving $5,463,126.49 in funding from the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, signed by President Biden, to plan for the deployment and adoption of affordable, equitable, and reliable high-speed Internet service throughout the state.

"Internet connectivity has become a crucial element to access opportunities across education, workforce, and healthcare," said Secretary of Commerce Gina Raimondo. "I commend Mayor Bowser and the Office of the Chief Technology Officer for their efforts to provide affordable Internet access and to bridge the digital divide in D.C."

All 50 U.S. states and six territories applied for planning grant funding for the Internet for All initiative's Broadband, Equity, Access and Deployment (BEAD) program and the Digital Equity Act program. Grant awards for all 56 eligible entities will be announced on a rolling basis.

About the District of Columbia’s Planning Grants

Broadband Equity, Access, and Deployment Program

The BEAD Program provides $42.45 billion to expand high-speed Internet access by funding planning, infrastructure deployment and adoption programs. The District of Columbia will receive $5 million to fund various activities including:

Identification of unserved and underserved locations;
Planning and capacity building of the city's broadband office;
Asset mapping across to catalogue high-speed Internet adoption programs and activities occurring within the city;
Creation of a five-year plan to increase digital equity, access, reliability, and affordability, and enable initiatives across e-health, remote education, workforce development, and remote work to drive inclusive growth.

Digital Equity

The Digital Equity Act provides $2.75 billion to establish three grant programs to ensure that all people and communities have the skills, technology, and capacity needed to reap the full benefits of our digital economy. The first part of NTIA’s execution of the Digital Equity Act is to fund digital equity planning efforts.

The District of Columbia will receive $463,126.49 to fund various activities including:

Creation of a digital equity plan for Washington, DC;
Development and execution of stakeholder engagement;
Adapting the digital equity staff.

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 (ACP) 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, please visit InternetforAll.gov.