|
Regional Update on federal grants focused on broadband for tribal and minority communities
The federal Bipartisan Infrastructure Law allocated $65 billion to support infrastructure planning, digital inclusion initiatives, and deployment projects that connect individuals and communities to the technologies, skills, and resources demanded by today's economy. This initiative aims to make high-speed internet affordable for all. The Bipartisan Infrastructure Law encompasses various initiatives designed to allocate funding towards specific communities.
The Tribal Broadband Connectivity Program is a $3 billion program from the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law and the Consolidated Appropriations Act, supporting tribal governments to bring high-speed internet to tribal lands, for telehealth, distance learning, affordability, and digital inclusion initiatives.
A second Notice of Funding Opportunity for the Tribal Broadband Connectivity Program was released in July of 2023. Applications for second round of the program are due January 23, 2024. Tribes that did not receive funding or received Equitable Distributions awards for planning projects under the first Notice of Funding Opportunity will be given priority for funding under the second Notice of Funding Opportunity. More information on applying for second round of the Tribal Broadband Connectivity Program can be found on the NTIA website.
The Connecting Minority Communities Pilot Program provided a total of $268 million in grants to assist colleges and other institutions that serve minority and tribal communities. The funding can be utilized for procuring broadband internet access services and eligible equipment, or for the recruitment and training of information technology personnel.
Recently funded projects from each of these programs are listed below.
Tribal Broadband Connectivity Program Round 1:
|
|
Ak-Chin Indian Community $3,080,698
Broadband Infrastructure Deployment
Install fiber and wireless service to connect 255 unserved Native American households with 100 Mbps symmetrical wired and 50/6 Mbps wireless speeds.
Cocopah Indian Tribe $5,214,720 Broadband Infrastructure Deployment
Install fiber to directly connect 210 unserved Native American households with qualifying broadband service of at least 25/3 Mbps.
Dilkon Chapter $33,246,806
Broadband Infrastructure Deployment
Install fiber to directly connect 3,643 unserved Native American households, plus anchor institutions and businesses, with a minimum of 25/3 Mbps wireless service.
Gila River Indian Community $4,477,345 Broadband Use and Adoption
Improve access to, and use of, broadband services among Pima and Maricopa Tribal members in Pinal and Maricopa counties, Arizona. Broadband network expansion will assist in telehealth expansion, distance learning opportunities, affordable broadband service, economic growth, and digital inclusion efforts where demands for Internet access has grown due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Havasupai Tribe of the Havasupai Reservation $7,077,145
Broadband Infrastructure Deployment
Install fiber to directly connect 102 unserved Native American households, plus the Havasupai Campground, Ranger Stations, and 33 anchor institutions with qualifying broadband service at a speed of 100/20 Mbps.
Hopi Telecommunications, Inc. $13,855,000
Broadband Infrastructure Deployment
Install fiber to directly connect 1,076 unserved Native American households, plus 18 businesses and 6 community anchor institutions, with fiber-to-the-home with up to 1 Gbps/1 Gbps service.
Yavapai-Apache Nation $500,000
Planning Study
Generate plans and recommendations in establishing the best and most cost-effective approach to update and expand broadband connectivity for the Yavapai-Apache Nation. The plan will leverage experts in broadband operations, engineering, and design to develop and document a sustainable and feasible plan for future infrastructure deployment.
White Mountain Apache Tribe $24,369,880
Broadband Infrastructure Deployment
Install fiber to directly connect 3,671 unserved Native American households and 56 unserved Tribal business and community anchor institutions with fiber-to-the-home with up to 1 Gbps/1 Gbps service.
San Carlos Apache Tribal Council $9,927,859
Broadband Infrastructure Deployment
Install fiber to directly connect 6,978 unserved Native American households, plus businesses and community anchor institutions, with fiber-to-the-home and/or fixed wireless to the home with up to 25 Mbps/3 Mbps service.
Pascua Yaqui Tribe of Arizona $6,862,445
Broadband Infrastructure Deployment
Install fiber and fixed wireless to directly connect 1,372 unserved Native American households with fixed wireless to the home service of at least 100 Mbps/20 Mbps.
Navajo Tribal Utility Authority $50,830,944
Broadband Infrastructure Deployment
Install fiber, fixed wireless, and 2.5 GHz wireless networks to directly connect 20,827 unserved and underserved Native American households with fiber-to-the-home and/or fixed wireless to the home service with up to 1 Gbps/1 Gbps.
Total Awarded in Arizona $159,442,842 |
|
|
Ute Mountain Ute Tribe $22,727,874
Broadband Infrastructure Deployment
Install two middle-mile routes across non-contiguous tribal lands in two states while constructing a last-mile FTTP infrastructure to connect the 104 homes, businesses, and Tribal government locations in White Mesa, Utah. This will directly connect approximately 817 unserved Native American households, 7 unserved Tribal businesses, and 36 unserved community anchor institutions with qualifying broadband with a range of services starting at 200 Mbps symmetrical speeds to 1 Gbps symmetrical speeds.
Southern Ute Indian Tribe $43,704,181
Broadband Infrastructure Deployment
Install fiber to directly connect 590 unserved Native American households, 14 businesses, and 16 anchor institutions with service of at least 250 Mbps symmetrical.
Total awarded in Colorado $66,432,054 |
|
|
Duckwater Shoshone Tribe $3,482,070
Broadband Infrastructure Deployment
Install fiber to directly connect 78 unserved Native American households and 11 Tribal anchor institutions with a minimum of 100 Mbps symmetrical fiber to the home service.
Ely Shoshone Tribe $788,001
Broadband Infrastructure Deployment
Install a 96-strand fiber network to include service drops, strand and lash aerial fiber, and FTTH, to directly connect 118 unserved Native American households, the Tribal Library, and the Tribal Healthcare Clinic ranging from 50 Mbps to 1 Gbps symmetrical service.
Fallon Paiute-Shoshone Tribe $1,669,771
Broadband Infrastructure Deployment
Install fiber and fixed wireless to directly connect 313 unserved Native American households with a minimum of 250/50 Mbps fiber to the home service and 100/20 Mbps wireless service.
Inter-Tribal Council of Nevada $18,945,380
Broadband Infrastructure Deployment
Install middle mile and last mile fiber and/or wireless to directly connect a total of 972 unserved Native American households and 7 Tribal community anchor institutions with qualifying broadband service across 11 Tribal service areas. Proposed service speeds range from a minimum of 25 Mbps/3 Mbps to 500 Mbps/500 Mbps or more depending on service area.
Walker River Paiute Tribe $6,476,858
Broadband Infrastructure Deployment
Install fiber to directly connect 418 unserved Native American households, 22 community anchor institutions, and 10 Tribal businesses with speeds from 25/3 Mbps up 100/10 Mbps.
Shoshone-Paiute Tribes of the Duck Valley Indian Reservation $1,599,400
Broadband Use and Adoption and Planning, Engineering, Feasibility, and Sustainability
Assist approximately 1,700 Tribal members on the Duck Valley Indian Reservation to build capacity to utilize broadband services and provide affordable broadband services to a historically underserved community. Broadband adoption activities also include the promotion of telehealth and remote learning opportunities.
Te-Moak Tribe of Western Shoshone $500,000
Broadband Infrastructure Deployment
The Te-Moak Tribe will utilize the first phase of their broadband project to obtain fiber for their administrative building. White Cloud Communication, the broadband service provider, designed a Fiber to the Premises system made up of underground fiber and/or air fiber to meet the needs of the Te-Moak Tribe. The utilization of multiple technologies will help ensure successful connectivity for the Tribal members.
Total awarded in Nevada $33,461,480 |
|
|
Jicarilla Apache Nation Power Authority $6,935,801
Broadband Infrastructure Deployment
Install fiber to directly connect 1,051 unserved Native American households, 116 unserved Native American businesses, and 25 community anchor institutions with fiber-to-the-home providing a speed of 1 Gbps/1 Gbps.
Mescalero Apache Telecom, Inc. $43,943,116
Broadband Infrastructure Deployment
Install fiber to directly connect 835 unserved Native American households, plus 336 businesses and 29 community anchor institutions such as the Boys & Girls Club, Fish Hatchery, Library, and Head Start with fiber-to-the-home and/or fixed wireless service up to 1 Gbps/1 Gbps.
Taos Pueblo $477,817
Broadband Infrastructure Deployment
The proposed project will enlist a qualified consultant to conduct a comprehensive engineering analysis encompassing technical design, market conditions and financial requirements for providing broadband services to the community.
Santo Domingo (Kewa) Pueblo $12,775,577
Broadband Infrastructure Deployment
Install fiber and connect wireless towers to directly connect 680 unserved Native American households with fiber-to-the-home and/or fixed wireless to the home providing a speed of 25 Mbps/3 Mbps.
Santa Fe Indian School $57,298,683
Broadband Infrastructure Deployment
Install fiber to connect the 700 students in grades 7-12 from the 19 Pueblos, Navajo and Apache Tribes of New Mexico, Zuni Tribe, Pueblo of Acoma, Pueblo of Isleta, Pueblo of Jemez, Pueblo of Santo Domingo, and the Pueblo of Zia with fiber-to-the-home providing a speed of 1 Gbps/1 Gbps.
San Ildefonso Services $4,925,582
Broadband Infrastructure Deployment
Install fiber and fixed wireless to directly connect 255 unserved Native American households with qualifying broadband service with up to 1000 Mbps symmetrical speeds.
Pueblo of Zia $4,695,869
Broadband Infrastructure Deployment
Install fiber to directly connect 228 unserved Native American households and 13 unserved community anchor institutions with qualifying broadband service with up to 1 Gbps symmetrical speeds.
Pueblo of Santa Clara $9,175,946
Broadband Infrastructure Deployment
Install fiber to directly connect 600 unserved Native American households with fiber to the home service of 1 Gbps symmetrical and 50/10 Mbps wireless service.
Pueblo of Isleta $26,033,973
Broadband Infrastructure Deployment
Install fiber to directly connect 1,526 unserved Native American households, 54 community anchor institutions, and 10 businesses with fiber-to-the-home and/or fixed wireless to the home providing a speed of 25 Mbps/3 Mbps.
Pueblo of Acoma $14,346,244
Broadband Infrastructure Deployment
Install fiber to directly connect 1167 unserved Native American households and anchor institutions with a minimum speed of 25/3 Mbps.
Picuris Pueblo Indian Tribe $3,742,991
Broadband Infrastructure Deployment
Install fiber to directly connect 79 unserved Native American households, 15 Tribal offices, 2 Tribal businesses, and 3 community anchor institutions with qualifying broadband service with up to 1 Gbps symmetrical speeds.
Pueblo of Tesuque $413,479
Planning, Engineering, Feasibility, and Sustainability
Provide a turnkey program to deploy broadband fiber that will ensure Pueblo members have reliable qualifying broadband service.
Ohkay Owingeh $500,000
Broadband Use and Adoption
Provide no-cost monthly qualifying wireless broadband service to 250 unserved Pueblo households, including the initial cost for the installation of existing Ohkay Owingeh equipment in 250 unserved households.
Pueblo of Jemez $500,000
Broadband Infrastructure Deployment
Construct a new wireless tower to provide viable internet access and critical services to Tribal members and ensure that the outlying regions of the Pueblo Jemez have access to basic critical needs, including education, health, safety, and social services.
Pueblo of Nambe $500,000
Broadband Infrastructure Deployment
Takes initial steps toward the deployment of underground and aerial fiber networks as part of the Pueblo of Nambe’s Phase I Broadband Deployment Project. Once all project phases are complete, all unserved Pueblo of Nambe households will be able to access qualifying broadband service.
Total awarded in New Mexico $186,265,077 |
Connecting Minority Communities Pilot Program:
|
|
Dine College $2,925,627
CONNECT NAVAJO will improve educational and economic opportunities on the Navajo Nation by improving internet access, providing more hardware, and investing in information technology staff. This project will ensure that the Diné people can continue to reside in their homes on Navajo Nation and benefit from access to technology that helps them earn academic credentials and enter economically rewarding and personally fulfilling careers.
University of Arizona $3,051,875
Connect Arizona Now: Digital Inclusion for Underserved Students and Communities of Southern Arizona (Project CAN) will address the need for broadband internet access, connectivity, and digital inclusion in the highly diverse and often rural communities of Southern Arizona.
Tohono O'odham Community College $1,912,358
Hewel Wepegi Macidag kc, wog - ‘Learning the Internet Road’ is designed to directly address the lack of broadband access, connectivity, adoption and equity at the college and in the surrounding anchor communities on Tohono O’odham Nation (TON). The overarching goal of the program is to support economic development on the TON through digital workforce development, community connectivity improvement, and computer literacy enhancement.
Phoenix College $4,279,579
The Boundless Broadband Transforming Minority Communities aims to improve and expand institutional broadband capacity, increase broadband access for underserved and underrepresented communities, and promote all-inclusive and online-based academic and career pathways to connect anchor communities to high-demand and high paying jobs in information technology, including, cybersecurity, networking, and cloud computing. The project will (1) expand broadband connections and training of college IT Staff, student internships and expanded IT staffing; (2) enable remote access to Close 2Home, the broadband accessible remote services platform; and (3) expand broadband bandwidth at college satellite campuses to increase broadband access.
Total awarded in Arizona $12,169,438 |
|
|
Colorado State University Pueblo $2,999,023
“Adelante Connect” aims to connect Pueblo residents to the internet and actively engage them in the knowledge economy. The purpose of the pilot project is to achieve an improved sense of digital equity, inclusion, and literacy, while building broadband awareness, and providing broadband solutions amongst in-need students, families, and organizations within the Pueblo anchor communities. The implementation of the project is expected to address key challenges of the Colorado State University - Pueblo and target anchor communities including poverty; lack of access to internet connection; lack of access to computer, smart phone, or tablet; and lack of digital literacy in underserved, low-income neighborhoods.
Total awarded in Colorado $2,999,023 |
|
|
College of Southern Nevada $2,496,525
CONNECTIVITY CONCIERGES aims to enhance the broadband and IT capabilities of its institution by enhancing digital literacy among its students, many of whom face unmet financial needs. Additionally, the project aims to offer accessible broadband education, training, awareness, equipment, and support to both students and community members residing within a 15-mile radius of the West Charleston (WC) campus, specifically within the Anchor Community tracts.
Total awarded in Nevada $2,496,525 |
|
|
Eastern New Mexico University Roswell $1,945,329
The "Creating Connected Communities to Provide Opportunities" (Project C-3PO) initiative seeks to enhance broadband connectivity and computer proficiency across Roswell, Dexter, Lake Arthur, Hagerman, and Midway, New Mexico. This project aims to increase computer literacy, developing capable ENMUR IT personnel, and enabling students, community residents, and minority-owned businesses (MBEs) to borrow technology resources like hotspots and laptops, alongside access to broadband services.
Southwestern Indian Polytechnic Institute $1,710,666
Parallel Network Upgrade will expand broadband to improve campus-wide network technology accessibility for students, staff, and faculty.
New Mexico State University $1,686,620
Bringing Broadband to New Mexico State University and Surrounding Counties aims to increase broadband connectivity by installing broadband internet equipment to provide access to individuals in the community.
New Mexico Highlands University $2,901,403
"Building Sustainable Technology and Equity Connected Communities through Youth and Adult Workforce Development: the Acequia and Land Grant Education" (ALGE) will use digital technology to deliver a culturally responsive curriculum to underserved populations in Northern New Mexico (NMM), and culturally sustaining pedagogy to teachers of students in underserved populations.
Total awarded in New Mexico $8,244,018 |
|
