Tribal Nations

Overview

NTIA is committed to increasing broadband internet access across America, particularly in unserved and underserved communities. BroadbandUSA and NTIA serve Tribal Governments, Tribal Colleges and Universities, Tribal Organizations and Native Corporations, and the Department of Hawaiian Home Lands that seek to expand broadband connectivity and promote broadband adoption through solution-neutral guides and resources, group technical assistance, interagency coordination, and administration of grant programs.

Tribal Resources

The Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2021 (CAA) appropriated $1 billion for the TBCP. The Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA), which Congress passed with bipartisan support, subsequently appropriated an additional $2 billion in new funding for TBCP, bringing the total amount of funding for the TBCP to $3 billion.

The Tribal Broadband Leaders Network (TBLN) allows NTIA to receive ongoing feedback on our Tribal grant program, while connecting Tribal leaders and their staff across the country to share priorities and best practices, discuss emerging telecommunications policy issues, and identify engagement strategies with state broadband leaders.

For more information, contact [email protected].

Section 106 Notification and Consultation

The FCC and NTIA recently agreed to continue NTIA's access to the FCC's Tower Construction Notification System (TCNS) to meet its Section 106 responsibilities for most NTIA grant programs. Due to the significant volume of Broadband Equity, Access, and Deployment (BEAD) projects anticipated in each state, in September NTIA sent Tribal leaders a letter (link below) proposing to directly engage with Tribal Historic Preservation Officers (THPO) to provide them an opportunity to pre-screen BEAD projects in their areas of interest to determine interest in participating in Section 106 consultation for specific projects. NTIA will begin engaging with THPOs on BEAD projects in their areas of interest while reviewing final proposals from each state and territory. Additionally, states are preparing their specific outreach and notification to THPOs.

September 2025 NTIA BEAD Dear Tribal Leader Letter

In order to ensure the TBCP is as effective as possible, NTIA is holding virtual government-to-government Tribal Consultation sessions in 2021 and 2022 requesting Tribal Leader input on the implementation of the program and grants. Session agendas are structured based on topics including eligibility, equitable distribution, historic preservation and environmental assessment, unserved areas, reporting requirements, and tribal lands.

NAME	TITLE	EMAIL	PHONE
Margaret Gutierrez	Division Chief	[email protected]	(202) 235-5467
Nicholas Courtney	Deputy, Strategy and Policy	[email protected]	(202) 308-2512
Isabel Lopez	Deputy, Grant Operations	[email protected]	(202) 389-2096
Andrew Orosco	Deputy, Data and Analytics	[email protected]	(202) 494-4209
Victoria Canales	Audit Broadband Program Specialist	[email protected]	(202) 941-0911
Vanessa Adkins	Federal Program Officer	[email protected]	(771) 241-6828
Christopher Becenti	Federal Program Officer	[email protected]	(202) 748-4507
Patrick Carroll	Federal Program Officer	p[email protected]	(202) 993-5144
Teri Caswell	Federal Program Officer	[email protected]	(202) 834-3402
Samantha Cordova	Federal Program Officer	[email protected]	(202) 948-0016
Leo Friedman	Federal Program Officer	[email protected]	(202) 430-3746
Stephanie Henning	Federal Program Officer	[email protected]	(202) 441-6618
Crystal Hottowe	Federal Program Officer	[email protected]	(202) 557-5708
Jules Kingery	Federal Program Officer	[email protected]	(202) 961-1893
Matt Rogotzke	Federal Program Officer	[email protected]	(202) 841-9515
Theron Rutyna	Federal Program Officer	[email protected]	(202) 595-4395
Sarah Salgado	Tribal Broadband Leaders Network Lead Federal Program Officer	[email protected]	(202) 209-3015
Juan Sanchez	Federal Program Officer	[email protected]	(202) 281-0246
Leanna Thomas	Closeout Federal Program Officer	[email protected]	(202) 430-3316
Amanda Wilkins	Federal Program Officer	[email protected]	(202) 924-4046
Kelbie Witham	Federal Program Officer	[email protected]	(240) 961-1903
Emily You	Federal Program Officer	[email protected]	(202) 209-3017

Additional Resources

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Technical Assistance

Find information, technical assistance, and broadband resources.

Technical Assistance

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BroadbandUSA provides permitting resources developed by NTIA and across agencies, including information from the Department of the Interior's Bureau of Indian Affairs.

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