NTIA Awarding Almost $18 Million to Tribal Communities

Funding will adopt and expand high-speed internet for seven tribes

NTIA Awarding Almost $18 Million to Tribal Communities
Photo of broadband equipment being installed on the Havasupai reservation in Arizona

WASHINGTON, Jan. 13, 2025 – Tribal entities will be getting a broadband boost thanks to a new round of funding from the Biden Administration. 

The National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) announced Friday that it awarded nearly $18 million in funding to seven tribes that span across Alaska, Washington, Arizona, and North Dakota.

A majority of the funding will be prepaying broadband services for thousands of tribal homes and public buildings, while the rest will go toward digital training opportunities to promote digital equity.

Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo said this “historical investment to connect Tribal communities” will “ensure that residents of Tribal lands have the Internet connections they need to take advantage of digital opportunities for work, education, health care, and other essential services.”

These grants are a part of the second round of the nearly $3 billion Tribal Broadband Connectivity Program, which focuses funding on “Internet infrastructure, affordability programs, telehealth and distance learning initiatives,” the NTIA’s 2023 announcement said.

The NTIA announced that the Tribal Broadband Connectivity Program has now begun or completed projects in 27 Tribal communities, and provided Internet access to more than 4,600 households.

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