News and Events

U.S. Commerce Secretary Gary Locke today, joined by U.S. Senator Barbara Boxer, Congresswoman Maxine Waters and Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa at the South Los Angeles WorkSource Center,announced a $7.5 million Recovery Act grant that will upgrade and expand 188 computer centers that provide the public with free broadband access to the Internet. The investment will help bridge the technological divide and improve access to job and computer training, and educational opportunities.

WASHINGTON – The Department of Commerce's National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) today announced that it has awarded grants to fund broadband mapping and planning activities in Connecticut, Hawaii, Kentucky, Maine, Mississippi, Nebraska, New Mexico, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, and Texas under NTIA's State Broadband Data and Development Grant Program. The program, funded by the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, will increase broadband access and adoption through better data collection and broadband planning.

WASHINGTON – The Commerce Department's National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) and the USDA's Rural Utilities Service (RUS) today announced the launch of BroadbandMatch, a new online tool to facilitate partnerships among prospective applicants to the agencies' broadband grant and loan programs. The programs, funded by the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, are intended to expand broadband access and adoption in America, helping to bridge the digital divide, create jobs, and stimulate long-term economic growth.

WASHINGTON – The U.S. Commerce Department's National Telecommunications and Information Administration today announced the appointment of Anna Gomez as the Deputy Assistant Secretary for Communications and Information, and Deputy National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) Administrator. One of Ms. Gomez's top duties will be to help facilitate the nation's historic transition to digital television.

WASHINGTON - The Commerce Department's National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) today welcomed the additional time to assist America's switch to digital broadcasting afforded by the House's and Senate's passage of the "DTV Delay Act." This measure allows full-power television stations to continue analog broadcasts past the current deadline of February 17, 2009, to June 12, 2009.

WASHINGTON – U.S. Department of Commerce's National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) today applauded Congress for additional funding that will allow NTIA to quickly issue TV converter box coupons to all households currently on the waiting list and to start mailing coupons via first class mail.

WASHINGTON - The U.S. Department of Commerce's National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) announced the application process for a $44 million grant program to assist low-power television and translator stations with upgrading from analog to digital broadcasting. Unlike full-power television stations, low-power television facilities may continue analog broadcasting after the June 12, 2009 national transition of full-power stations to digital.

U..S. Secretary of Commerce Gary Locke today urged Americans who need help getting ready for the national switch to digital television (DTV) to apply for a converter box coupon no later than Monday, June 1, in order to receive it before the June 12 transition.

Consumers who have TVs connected to cable, satellite, or another pay TV service are ready for the transition to digital. If they don't prepare, consumers who rely on free, over-the-air TV and use "rabbit ears" or a rooftop antenna with a television that uses an analog tuner, will lose television service on June 12.

WASHINGTON- The Commerce Department's National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) and the Department of Agriculture's Rural Utilities Service (RUS) announced today that they received almost 2,200 applications requesting nearly $28 billion in funding for proposed broadband projects reaching all 50 U.S. states and territories and the District of Columbia.

WASHINGTON – The Department of Commerce's National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) today announced that it has awarded grants to fund broadband mapping and planning activities in Alabama, Idaho, Maryland, Massachusetts, Washington, Wisconsin, and Wyoming under NTIA's State Broadband Data and Development Grant Program. The program, funded by the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, will increase broadband access and adoption through better data collection and broadband planning.

WASHINGTON – The USDA's Rural Utilities Service (RUS) and the Commerce Department's National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) today announced they are streamlining the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act's broadband grant and loan programs by awarding the remaining funding in just one more round, instead of two rounds, to increase efficiency and better accommodate applicants.

WASHINGTON – The Department of Commerce's National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) today announced that it has awarded grants to fund broadband mapping and planning activities in Alaska, Colorado, Delaware, Kansas, Louisiana, and Missouri under NTIA's State Broadband Data and Development Grant Program. The program, funded by the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, will increase broadband access and adoption through better data collection and broadband planning.

WASHINGTON – The Department of Commerce's National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) today announced a $1.2 million Recovery Act that will expand broadband Internet access at Rhode Island's 71 public libraries across the state.

WASHINGTON – U.S. Commerce Secretary Gary Locke today announced a $5.9 million Recovery Act grant that will expand broadband Internet access at the South Carolina Technical College System's 16 member colleges across the state. The investment will help bridge the technological divide, improve education, and help more South Carolinians gain the skills needed to compete in the 21st century workforce.

WASHINGTON – The Department of Commerce's National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) today released a new report taking a first look at data collected through the Internet Usage Survey of more than 50,000 households, commissioned by NTIA and conducted by the U.S. Census Bureau in October 2009. Since 2007, the data show that while virtually all demographic groups have experienced rising broadband Internet access adoption at home, historic disparities among particular demographic groups overall continue to persist.

WASHINGTON – U.S. Commerce Secretary Gary Locke today announced 10 American Recovery and Reinvestment Act investments to help bridge the technological divide, boost economic growth, create jobs and improve education and health care cross the country. The grants will increase broadband access and adoption in California, Florida, Indiana, Louisiana, New York, Pennsylvania, West Virginia, and Wisconsin.

WASHINGTON – The Department of Commerce's National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) today announced an $11.9 million American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (Recovery Act) investment to help bridge the technological divide, boost economic growth, create jobs, and improve education and health care in DeKalb County and portions of LaSalle County, Illinois.

WASHINGTON – The Department of Commerce's National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) today announced a $13.4 million American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (Recovery Act) investment to help bridge the technological divide, boost economic growth, create jobs, and improve education across the state of Utah.

WASHINGTON – The Department of Commerce's National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) today announced that it has awarded grants to fund broadband mapping and planning activities in Arkansas, the District of Columbia, and New York under NTIA's State Broadband Data and Development Grant Program. The program, funded by the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, will increase broadband access and adoption through better data collection and broadband planning.

WASHINGTON - The Department of Commerce's National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) today announced that it has awarded a grant of approximately $1.4 million to fund broadband mapping and planning activities in West Virginia under NTIA's State Broadband Data and Development Grant Program. The program, funded by the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, will increase broadband access and adoption through better data collection and broadband planning.

WASHINGTON – The Department of Commerce's National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) today announced that it has awarded the first four grants under NTIA's State Broadband Data and Development Grant Program to fund activities in California, Indiana, North Carolina, and Vermont. The program, funded by the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, will increase broadband access and adoption through better data collection and broadband planning.

From Commerce Website: http://www.commerce.gov/news/press-releases/2009/07/24/secretary-locke-reminds-consumers-apply-tv-converter-box-coupons-july

U.S. Secretary of Commerce Gary Locke today reminds Americans who are still not digital television-ready that they have one more week to request converter box coupons before the July 31st deadline.

WASHINGTON - The Department of Commerce's National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) today announced details of a grant program to fund collection of state-level broadband data, as well as state-wide broadband mapping and planning, which will assist NTIA in creating a national broadband map. This initiative will provide consumers with better information on the broadband services available to them and inform efforts to increase broadband availability nationwide.