NTIA Approves Digital Equity Funds for Five States, Puerto Rico

WASHINGTON, Nov. 14, 2024 – Commerce Department officials announced Thursday that five states and Puerto Rico have been approved to access digital equity funds totaling more than $68 million to support their digital equity programs.

Funding will be disbursed by the National Telecommunications and Information Administration. Delaware will get $4.8 million, Louisiana $12.7 million, Missouri $14.2 million, Oklahoma $11.2 million, Tennessee $15.8 million, and Puerto Rico $9.8 million.

The digital equity program funding will flow from the federal government’s $1.44 billion State Digital Equity Capacity Grant Program. The award was announced by the NTIA in a press release.

The federal grant program was funded by the Biden administration’s 2021 Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act.

The digital equity programs to be supported by the grant are aimed at providing technology and skills to state and territory residents to make the internet more accessible and easily navigated.

The funding came from the first funding round of NTIA’s digital equity program, which allocated more than $800 million to states, territories and tribal entities.