Exclusive Drew Clark Column: Three Other Broadband Funding Programs (Besides the Infrastructure Bill)

WASHINGTON, August 27, 2021 — Most of the energy around broadband policy has been focused on the bipartisan infrastructure bill, which would allocate $65 billion in new spending. But with a vote on the measure in the House delayed until by September 27, it’s worth focusing on three other significant broadband programs being administered by the Commerce Department: The Broadband Infrastructure Program, the Tribal Broadband Connectivity Program and the Connecting Minority Communities Pilot Program.

On that note, Commerce’s National Telecommunications and Information Administration – which is responsible for all three programs – on Wednesday announced the creation of two new broadband offices with the NTIA: The Office of Internet Connectivity and Growth, and the Office of Minority Broadband Initiatives within the OICG.

The establishment of OICG fulfills requirements of the ACCESS BROADBAND Act, enacted into law as part of the Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2021. OICG will be led by NTIA civil servant Douglas Kinkoph, who has led NTIA’s broadband program since 2015 and stayed at the agency throughout the Trump administration.

In addition to running the three programs identified above, the new OICG will also house the agency’s activities operating under the BroadbandUSA moniker.

These were mostly low-budget efforts that provided community outreach, support for state leaders, technical assistance and coordination on federal broadband resources during the lean years – from 2015 until now – when NTIA didn’t have significant resources to run broadband initiatives.

“With this new organizational structure, we are prepared to make significant progress in closing the digital divide through our broadband programs, bringing us closer to President Biden’s goal of connecting all Americans to reliable, affordable high-speed Internet,” NTIA Acting Administrator Evelyn Remaley said in a Wednesday press release.

The Broadband Infrastructure Program

The window for government agencies to submit applications for the Broadband Infrastructure Program closed on August 17, and on Tuesday NTIA said it had received more than 230 applications, for more than $2.5 billion. Only $288 million will be awarded under these BIP grants. The funding was authorized by the 2021 appropriations measure.

Per the terms of the appropriations measure, priority will be given to applications that provide broadband service to the greatest number of households in an eligible service area, provide broadband service to rural areas, are most cost-effective in providing broadband service; or provide broadband service with a download speed of at least 100 Megabits per second (Mbps) and an upload speed of at least 20 Mbps.

Broadband Breakfast Expert Opinion columnist Craig Settles wrote about the three programs on August 8. He noted that “municipalities, nonprofits, or co-ops that own or operate broadband networks are encouraged to participate, but only a public entity can apply for the grant. NTIA added a variation called ‘covered partnerships’ between a state, county or a city and a fixed broadband service. Partnerships can include more than one provider, and providers can be part of more than one partnership.”

The Tribal Broadband Connectivity Program

The Tribal Broadband Program represents another effort designed to improve connectivity in historically under or unserved communities. Also established by the 2021 appropriations bill, the $980-million program will provide grants to expand regular and remote broadband access and adoption by Tribal governments, Tribal organizations, Tribal colleges or universities, the Department of Hawaiian Homelands on behalf of the Native Hawaiian Community, and Native Corporations.

Grant applications are due no later than September 1, 2021.

The NTIA has stated that it expects to award approximately 400 recipients, and recipients can receive up to $50 million in awarded monies.

Like other broadband programs, the Tribal program was motivated in part by the pandemic, and was designed to promote broadband infrastructure deployment and the adoption of distance learning programs, telehealth services, and other broadband adoption activities designed to encourage greater participate in the digital world.

More than half those living on Tribal lands do not have access to broadband compared to eight percent of Americans living elsewhere.

NTIA resources on the Tribal Connectivity Program:

Available Now: Session 5 Webinar Presentation, Transcripts, and Recordings
The presentations, transcripts, and webinar recordings are now available on these webpages:
Session 5a – Held August 11, 2021 at 2:30pm ET
Session 5b – Held August 12, 2021 at 2:30pm ET

Available Soon: Session 6 Webinar Presentation, Transcripts, and Recordings
The presentations, transcripts, and webinar recordings will be available on these webpages by close of business on August 30:
Session 6a – Held August 23, 2021 at 2:30pm ET
Session 6b – Held August 24, 2021 at 2:30pm ET

NTIA has recently published its third set of FAQs regarding the Tribal Broadband Connectivity Program. This document offers a deeper dive into some of the most commonly asked questions. Subsequent FAQ sets will be published periodically throughout the application window. See the new set of FAQs: Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) 07-28-2021

Connecting Minority Communities Pilot Program

The $268 million Connecting Minority Communities was also created by the 2021 appropriations bill, but unlike the other two programs, it builds on work begun at NTIA during the Trump administration in 2018 as part of the Minority Broadband Initiative.

The Minority Broadband Initiative (although not yet with the official title of “office”) worked with Historically Black Colleges and Universities, Tribal Colleges and Universities, and Minority-Serving Institutions to find solutions for minority communities to become more connected.

On Wednesday the agency said that the creation of this office codifies the NTIA’s prior work and fulfills the requirements of the Connecting Minority Communities provisions of the appropriations bill.

The goal is to connect the educational and minority-serving institutions to promote initiatives for expanding connectivity for anchor communities, Remaley said, adding that the new office “reflect[s] how broadband expansion and advancing equity in America are critical to our core mission and the Biden Administration’s agenda.”

NTIA released the regulations for the program in June, with the scope, eligibility criteria, and general guidelines. Commerce Secretary Gina M. Raimondo explicitly noted that initiatives like the MBI were designed to only play a small part of President Joe Biden’s larger American Jobs Plan, and which she said had been the subject of intense partisan divide.

Applicants can apply to cover the hiring of information technology personnel to ensure a network runs smoothly, to purchasing devices to access networks and to procuring the actual network service they need to access the internet. A notice of funding opportunity for the program was released on August 3, 2021.

NTIA resources on the Minority Broadband Communities Pilot Program:

Available Now: Session 5 Webinar Presentation, Transcripts, and Recordings
The presentations, transcripts, and webinar recordings are now available on these webpages:
Session 5a – Held August 18, 2021 at 2:30pm ET
Session 5b – Held August 19, 2021 at 2:30pm ET

Register Today for Upcoming Webinars on the Connecting Minority Communities Pilot Program:
Session 6a – September 22, 2021 at 2:30pm ET
Session 6b – September 23, 2021 at 2:30pm ET
Session 7a – October 20, 2021 at 2:30pm ET
Session 7b – October 21, 2021 at 2:30pm ET

NTIA has recently published its second set of FAQs regarding the Connect Minority Communities Pilot Program. This document offers a deeper dive into some of the most commonly asked questions and subsequent FAQ sets will be published periodically throughout the application window. See the new set of FAQs: Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) 08-17-2021