Utah and New Jersey Win Broadband Grants

WASHINGTON, February 23, 2010 – The Commerce Department’s National Telecommunications and Information Administration this week announced investments to boost the broadband experience in Utah and New Jersey.

NTIA awarded $13.4 million to boost economic growth, create jobs and improve education in Utah through the Broadband Technology Opportunities Program and $2 million from its State Broadband Data and Development Grant Program for New Jersey’s broadband mapping efforts.

The investment in Utah will allow the University of Utah to expand the Utah Education Network, which currently provides Internet service to more than 300 schools and other community anchor institutions.

It also will extend fiber-based ethernet broadband services to 130 elementary and charter schools, public libraries and Head Start centers across the state, including a Head Start center serving the Ute Indian Reservation.

NTIA has awarded the New Jersey Office of Information Technology approximately $1.5 million for broadband data collection and mapping activities over a two-year period. The state also will receive $500,000 for broadband planning activities over five years in New Jersey.

The federal government has awarded 52 grants totaling approximately $99 million under the mapping program. It has awarded 31 grants totaling more than $610 million under the BTOP program.

NTIA is currently accepting BTOP applications through Mar. 15 for a second round of funding.