Meanwhile, the FCC continues to disburse Emergency Connectivity funds for schools and libraries
The dispersal of federal broadband funds for Tribal areas is picking up steam, with the National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) announcing hundreds of millions of dollars in awards as part of $500 million expected to be awarded over a month-long period.
Since mid-August, the agency has already announced awards totaling around $330.4 million to expand high-speed broadband in Tribal areas, as part of the multi-billion-dollar Tribal Broadband Connectivity Program that is one aspect of the larger “Internet for All” initiative which was funded through both the bipartisan Infrastructure Act as well as a 2021 appropriations bill.
“Closing the digital divide in Indian country is a crucial step for protecting local customs and traditions while invigorating the opportunities for global engagement and growth. The announcements we’re making over the next month are an exciting step on the journey,” said Secretary of Commerce Gina Raimondo in a statement.
A few of the recently announced awards include:
–$61.6 million to the Yurok Telecommunications Corp. to install middle-mile fiber and last-mile fixed wireless connectivity at 100/25 Mbps, for 921 unserved Native American households on the Yurok reservation and ancestral lands in California.
-$16.6 million to the Spokane Tribe to install fiber-to-the-premises for 800 unserved households, 10 businesses and 28 anchor institutions, with service levels of 100/100 Mbps.
–$18.9 million to the Inter-Tribal Council of Nevada to support the deployment of middle-mile and last-mile fiber and wireless, at speeds ranging from 25/3 Mbps to 500/500 Mbps, to connect 972 Native American households and seven community anchor institutions across 11 Tribal service areas in the state.
NTIA says that it has made more than 64 awards through the Tribal connecitivity program, totaling more than $620 million.
FCC continues to make funding awards to connect schools and libraries
Meanwhile, the Federal Communications Commission has released another round of funding awards through the Emergency Connectivity Program meant to connect schools and libraries around the country. As the school year gets started for students across the U.S., FCC Chairwoman Jessica Rosenworcel said that that latest round of funding “will help more
students get the online access they need for a successful education, and bring us closer to
closing the homework gap.”
The funds can be used for both on-campus connectivity and to support off-campus learning to ensure that students have internet access in order to complete homework.
The FCC’s funding around included $4.4 million for five schools that had applied during the first and second application windows, and around $37 million for more than 230 schools, 30 libraries and five consortia of schools and/or libraries which made requests during the third application window.
