Office of Minority Broadband Initiatives
Office of MinorityBroadband Initiatives
Overview
Through the Office of Minority Broadband Initiatives (OMBI), the National Telecommunications and Information Administration directly addresses the lack of high-speed Internet access and adoption at our nation’s Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCU), Tribal Colleges and Universities (TCU), and other institutions, and their surrounding communities. OMBI was established as directed by the Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2021 (CAA 2021) in December 2020.
The CAA 2021 directs OMBI to work closely with community anchor institutions (CAI), private industry, state, local and tribal governments, and various stakeholders to expand broadband deployment, digital opportunities, and to help further economic development for low-income communities, senior citizens, and veterans. The Office also provides technical assistance, recommendations, and research on how to leverage investments in broadband infrastructure on behalf of HBCUs and TCUs. OMBI’s programmatic focus areas include (1) broadband workforce readiness and talent pathways and (2) digital learning infrastructure and network modernization.
Currently, OMBI administers the Connecting Minority Communities (CMC) Pilot Program, a $268 million grant program to HBCUs, TCUs, and other institutions to address access to high-speed Internet service. Through this program, OMBI awarded funding to 93 higher education institutions to purchase Internet access services or any eligible equipment, or to hire and train technology personnel.
Director: Dr. Dominique Harrison
Office of Minority Broadband Initiatives 2022 Report
The Office of Minority Broadband Initiatives 2022 Report details the work of NTIA Office of Minority Broadband Initiatives (OMBI) in expanding access and identifying barriers to high-speed internet service for students, faculty, and staff at Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HCBU), Tribal Colleges and Universities (TCU), and Minority Serving Institutions (MSI) and within anchor communities.
Office of Minority Broadband Initiatives FY2023 Annual Report
The Office of Minority Broadband Initiatives FY2023 Annual Report provides context to OMBI’s mission to expand high-speed Internet access for anchor institutions and their underserved, minority communities. It also spotlights OMBI's pivotal role in advocating for and monitoring progress towards this objective.
Related content
Pioneers of Change at Universidad Ana G. Mendez, Carolina Campus
By: Shirley “Mel” Reyes Moret, Federal Program Officer, Connecting Minority Communities Pilot Program
NTIA celebrates National Hispanic Heritage Month by showcasing one of our Internet for All grantees that embodies this year’s theme: "Pioneers of Change: Shaping the Future Together." At Universidad Ana G. Méndez, Carolina Campus (UAGM-CC) principal investigator and agent of change Dr. Luis Rosario-Albert leads the effort to connect Carolina County, Puerto Rico residents to Internet services and digital skills training through the UAGCM-CC Broadband Digital Inclusion Project (BDIP).
Carolina County, the third-largest county in Puerto Rico, has faced significant economic and technological challenges in recent years. The county had a 2023 unemployment rate of 52.1% and a median household income of $35,391 – well below the national median of $80,610. Additionally, only 59.3% of county residents owned a desktop computer or laptop. These harsh realities drove Dr. Rosario-Albert to assess the educational and technological resources in the county’s three community centers, where he discovered that none had an active Internet service subscription.
New IT Skills Help Three Arizona Students Change Careers
NTIA awarded Phoenix College more than $4.25 million from the Connecting Minority Communities Pilot Program to improve high-speed Internet service capacity and workforce development training. This funding also enabled Phoenix College to purchase devices and software, create paid internships within the college’s Information Technology Department, and revise programs within their new Bachelor of IT program, among other changes and improvements.
Randisha Gaines ![]()
Gaines is pursuing a B.A. in Information Technology with a focus in Administration Networking and Cybersecurity, while also working as a part-time 3D Lab Technician in the college’s 3D printing lab. Following an eight-year stint in the Navy, and then the medical field during the Covid-19 pandemic, she was interested in shifting to an IT career. However, she found it difficult to break into the field.
“It’s such an underserved field that needs those resources, as far as technology, training, and other opportunities go,” Gaines explained.
The 2023 Office of Minority Broadband Initiatives Annual Report
WASHINGTON - The Department of Commerce’s National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) recently released a new report highlighting federal investments in high-speed Internet programs.