Newsroom

Who Are Middle Mile Providers?

Middle mile service may be offered by a wide range of entities, from traditional retail Internet Service Providers, large technology companies that do not offer retail Internet service at all, or electric utilities that increasingly recognize their capability to transform the communications market. Regardless of who deploys and operates them, middle mile connections are crucial to connectivity and competition.

Why Middle Mile Matters

Middle mile infrastructure bridges the gap between where information is stored and the people interacting with it – it's an essential part of reliable, high-speed Internet access. Because of the nation’s middle mile networks, anyone in America can transfer data across the world, enabling community, competition, learning, and well-being.

WASHINGTON – The Department of Commerce’s National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) announced today that it has awarded a $29.3 million Tribal Broadband Connectivity Program grant to the Native Village of Port Lions as part of the Biden-Harris Administration’s Internet for All initiative.

The Communications Supply Chain Risk Information Partnership (C-SCRIP) held its first webinar for stakeholders on Monday, August 8. This program featured discussions on: 

Access to the Internet plays a critical role, serving as a catalyst for work, education, essential services, and more as part of routines in everyday life. But, even today, for many Americans, access to affordable, reliable, high-speed internet is still out of reach. 

The recent update of the Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) between the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) and NTIA memorializes a shared commitment between the two agencies to renew a partnership critical to jointly managing the nation’s spectrum resources.   

Following the release of the Section 1663 Report from the National Academies of Science, Engineering and Medicine (NASEM) committee, NTIA issued the following statement:

Louisiana Will Receive Nearly $3 Million in Funding for Internet Infrastructure Deployment and Digital Equity Programs 

More than $634 million awarded to 25 Tribal Entities in August

WASHINGTON – The Department of Commerce’s National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) announced $105,846,128.07 in grants awarded from the Internet for All initiative to five Tribal entities in Arizona. Secretary of Commerce Gina Raimondo announced the grants at an event at the Inter-Tribal Council of Arizona in Arizona.

WASHINGTON – The Department of Commerce’s National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) announced today that it has awarded an $18.9 million Tribal Broadband Connectivity Program grant to the Inter-Tribal Council of Nevada (ITCN) as part of the Biden-Harris Administration’s “Internet for All” initiative. 

WASHINGTON – The Department of Commerce’s National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) announced $143,639,693.50 in funds awarded from the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2021 to Tribes in two states. The awards will provide funds for high-speed internet infrastructure deployment projects through the Internet for All Initiative’s Tribal Broadband Connectivity Program for the Hoopa Valley Tribal Council and Yurok Telecommunications Corp.

WASHINGTON – The Department of Commerce’s National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) announced today that it has awarded seven grants totaling over $118.8 million as part of the Tribal Broadband Connectivity Program. The announcement was made from the Oglala Sioux Tribe reservation in Pine Ridge, SD.

WASHINGTON – The Department of Commerce’s National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) announced $49,112,883.26 in funds awarded from the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2021 to tribes in two states. The awards will provide funds for high-speed internet infrastructure deployment projects through the Internet for All Initiative’s Tribal Broadband Connectivity Program for the Mississippi Band of Choctaw Indians of Mississippi and the Osage Nation of Oklahoma.

All States, U.S. Territories, and the District of Columbia Submit Planning Grant Applications for $42.45 Billion BEAD Program

WASHINGTON – The Department of Commerce’s National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) announced today it has awarded a $500,000 grant to build out high-speed Internet infrastructure in Healy Lake Village in Fairbanks, Alaska. The grant, awarded under the Tribal Broadband Connectivity Program, is part of President Biden's commitment to ensuring everyone in America has access to reliable, affordable, high-speed internet.

August is often described as a quiet time here in Washington. That hasn’t been the case at NTIA.  

WASHINGTON – Today, the National Telecommunications and Information Administration’s (NTIA) Institute for Telecommunication Sciences (ITS) in Boulder, Colorado, in collaboration with the Department of Defense (DoD), announced 5G Challenge Stage Two winners and Stage Three contestants. This prize competition aims to accelerate the adoption of open interfaces, interoperable components, and multi-vendor solutions toward the development of an open 5G ecosystem. 

The Department of Commerce’s National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) announced over $146 million in funds awarded from the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2021 to tribal entities New Mexico today during an Internet for All press call with Vice President Kamala Harris. The awards will provide 5 tribal entities with funds for high-speed internet projects through the Internet for All initiative’s Tribal Broadband Connectivity Program.  

NTIA serves a critical role in ensuring the most effective and efficient use of spectrum across the federal government. With a focus on working toward a coordinated, national approach to spectrum use, promoting evidence-based approaches to spectrum allocation is a critical endeavor. Much effort is currently focused on spectrum sharing. NTIA’s research laboratory, the Institute for Telecommunication Sciences (ITS), is bringing needed clarity to the challenge through its specialized engineering studies known as electromagnetic compatibility (EMC) studies.

WASHINGTON – Today, the Department of Commerce’s National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) and the Department of Interior’s Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA) announced an agreement to coordinate responsibilities in ensuring compliance with environmental, historic preservation, and cultural resources requirements related to the Tribal Broadband Connectivity Program (TBCP).

ANCHORAGE – Assistant Secretary for Communications and Information Alan Davidson, during an official visit to Alaska, announced that the National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) has added $1 billion from President Biden’s Bipartisan Infrastructure Law to the current Tribal Broadband Connectivity Program (TBCP) funding period, which closes September 1, 2022, part of the Biden-Harris Administration’s commitment to investing in affordable high-speed Internet for All. 

Assistant Secretary Davidson Announced the Awards During an Official Visit to Alaska

FAIRBANKS, AK – At an Internet for All roundtable today in Fairbanks, Alaska, the Department of Commerce’s National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) announced that it has awarded two grants as part of the Tribal Broadband Connectivity Program. These grants, totaling approximately $51 million, are awarded to Doyon, Limited and Ahtna Intertribal Resource Commission in Alaska. 

ANCHORAGE – The National Telecommunications and Information Administration and Senator Dan Sullivan in coordination with, the State of Alaska, the Alaska Municipal League, and the Alaska Federation of Natives will host a summit on Tuesday, August 9, 2022, on the implementation of the Internet for All initiative in Alaska.

WASHINGTON – Alan Davidson, Assistant Secretary of Commerce for Communications and Information, will travel to Alaska to see first-hand the unique needs and challenges related to the expansion of affordable and reliable high-speed internet in the state. Assistant Secretary Davidson will travel across the state and hold a series of public events from Aug. 8-11.