NTIA Issues Additional NOFO for Tribal Broadband Connectivity Program

NTIA issued its second notice of funding opportunity (NOFO) for the tribal broadband connectivity program Thursday, making nearly $1 billion available for Native American, Alaska Native and Native Hawaiian communities. The agency made $980 million available for high-speed infrastructure deployment, telehealth and distance learning, and use and adoption efforts on tribal lands. Eligible entities have until Jan. 23 to apply for the new funding.

Thursday's announcement on the nearly $3 billion program is the final amount of funding made available through the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (see 2106030065). “These investments will provide new opportunities for tribal communities to participate in telehealth, online education, remote work and countless other benefits that Internet access can bring,” Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo said: Through President Joe "Biden’s investing in America agenda, we are providing the resources necessary to deploy high-quality, high-speed internet service across tribal lands.” NTIA has made about 191 awards through the tribal broadband connectivity program to date, totaling more than $1.78 billion.

"Many families, especially on tribal lands, lack access to a high-speed internet connection," said NTIA Administrator Alan Davidson during a Wednesday press call. Funding round one will provide connections to about 147,000 tribal households and the final equitable distribution awards of up to $500,000 will be announced "in the coming weeks and months," Davidson said. "Everyone knows we're long overdue to make major investment in infrastructure, but nobody knows that better than Indian country," PaaWee Rivera, White House tribal affairs director, told reporters.

NTIA made some changes to the second NOFO. The second round will include awards ranging from $1 million to $50 million for high-speed internet infrastructure deployment projects and awards ranging from $100,000 to $2.5 million for adoption and use efforts. The agency expects to allocate "not more than $100 million to standalone broadband use and adoption," per the NOFO. NTIA anticipates completing its review of applications and selecting applicants by April 22. The agency also expects the earliest start date for awards to be May 6.

Round two will prioritize funding for infrastructure projects submitted by planning or equitable distribution recipients. Equitable distribution will be available only for tribes that didn't receive funding during round one. NTIA encouraged consortium applications, saying applicants may only be part of one application and should apply either as a single entity or part of a single consortium application.

The agency replaced sustainability with capacity building as an evaluation criterion for use and adoption projects. Proposals to deploy speeds of 1,000 Mbps will receive higher consideration. Applicants must also submit certifications on cybersecurity and supply chain risk management requirements. NTIA required all applicants to submit shapefiles for infrastructure deployment proposals and disclose all enforceable buildout commitments, broadband facilities or equipment on tribal land, and evidence of a challenge to the FCC’s broadband map "if it does not reflect the tribe’s unserved status."

"The digital divide has disproportionately impacted people in tribal communities for years,” Davidson said: "This latest round of funding will provide Indian country with affordable, reliable, high-speed Internet service.”