Funding

As states begin to implement the Broadband Equity, Access, and Deployment (BEAD) program, NTIA and states are working to ensure that there is a skilled and ready workforce to address forthcoming construction needs for high-speed Internet deployment. Minority Serving Institutions (MSIs) are getting ready for this demand by developing apprenticeship and training programs to equip students with the skills they need to access higher and better paying jobs that will also support critical Internet infrastructure.

By Jill Springer, Senior Advisor, Office of Internet Connectivity and Growth, NTIA

High-speed Internet service connects and builds communities, accelerates economic progress, and enhances public service capabilities. Installing broadband infrastructure can be complex due to permitting processes and regulations that may influence the availability of public rights-of-way, poles, conduits, ducts, and other necessary facilities.

On Tuesday, July 23 and Wednesday, July 24, 2024, the National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) and the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) co-hosted a multi-agency broadband permitting summit at the BLM National Training Center in Phoenix, Arizona. Over 150 participants registered to hear 13 federal agencies explain in detail how to successfully apply for the right-of-way and special use permits that grant recipients will need to deploy Internet For All (IFA).