NTIA is committed to increasing broadband Internet access across America, particularly in unserved and underserved communities. The recently enacted Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2021 provides new sources of tribal broadband funding to assist in mitigating the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic which is exacerbating the digital divide across Indian Country. With the designated funding, NTIA is in the process of developing the Tribal Broadband Connectivity Program (TBCP) that will make grants available to eligible entities as quickly as possible.

The National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) is holding Tribal Consultations for input on implementation of the Tribal Broadband Connectivity Program (TBCP). The Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2021, Pub. L. No. 116-260 (Act), provides new sources of tribal broadband funding that can assist in mitigating the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic exacerbating the digital divide across Indian Country. The Department of Commerce and NTIA are dedicated to expanding broadband deployment in unserved areas and promoting digital inclusion.

Registration for this webinar is full. If you are not able to participate, the webinar is being recorded. It will be posted on the NTIA YouTube channel (BroadbandUSA Webinars playlist), by Monday, March 22, 2021. We hope you are able to watch the recording at your convenience. We will have additional webinars on the grant programs, so please sign-up to receive email updates and check the BroadbandUSA website.  

Description: The federal government compiles huge broadband datasets cataloguing broadband availability and subscriptions through the US Census Bureau and Federal Communications Commission, among others. These can be augmented with commercially available speed test data to provide a better insight into broadband access and availability. Join BroadbandUSA on February 17, 2021 to gain a fuller understanding of these datasets and how to use data to strengthen your broadband planning efforts.

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Rural America’s economic development is tied more and more to broadband connectivity. BroadbandUSA’s November webinar illustrated how communities, broadband providers, and other stakeholders can build partnerships to foster resilient economies through broadband infrastructure buildout and adoption in rural areas.

BroadbandUSA’s October Webinar, Digital Inclusion and K-12 Education: The Impact of COVID-19 on Students and Educators, focused on the challenges that communities and schools are facing during the pandemic. The panel of community leaders also highlighted longstanding issue of digital inclusion, particularly in low-income, rural, and tribal communities.

In mid-September, BroadbandUSA’s State Broadband Leaders Network (SBLN) held its semiannual Summit to discuss broadband issues and policy at the state level. NTIA provided an update on its National Broadband Availability Map (NBAM) and introduced BroadbandUSA’s new State Broadband Mapping Cohort.