Publications

The National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA), as the agency responsible for administering the BEAD program, provides herein additional guidance to inform the submission and execution of the Initial Proposal, including the design and implementation of the BEAD Eligible Entity challenge processes. This Policy Notice elaborates on, but does not replace, the BEAD Eligible Entity (States, territories, and the District of Columbia) requirements outlined in the BEAD Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO) that each Eligible Entity must adhere to for the Assistant Secretary of Commerce for Communications and Information to approve its Initial Proposal. An Eligible Entity that received NTIA approval of Volume I of its BEAD Initial Proposal prior to the publication of this updated guidance may wish to modify its Volume I to reflect this updated guidance. Before taking such action, that Eligible Entity must contact its Federal Program Officer for direction.

The Frequently Asked Questions page is intended to clarify and provide guidance on information set forth in the Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO) on April 12, 2023. Following the release of this document, further questions may be submitted to [email protected] for consideration to include in future FAQ documents. The below FAQs are for informational purposes only and are intended solely to assist potential applicants in better understanding the National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) Public Wireless Supply Chain Innovation Fund and the application requirements set forth in the Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO) for this program. The FAQs do not and are not intended to supersede, modify, or otherwise alter applicable statutory or regulatory requirements, or the specific application requirements set forth in the NOFO. In all cases, statutory and regulatory mandates, and the requirements set forth in the NOFO, shall prevail over any inconsistencies contained in the below FAQs.

(NTIA) will host a webinar series in April through July 2021 in connection with the three new broadband grant programs authorized and funded by the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2021: The Broadband Infrastructure Program, the Tribal Broadband Connectivity Program, and the Connecting Minority Communities Program. The webinars are designed to help prospective applicants understand the grant programs and to assist applicants to prepare high quality grant applications.

On March 19, 2021, the National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) published a Notice in the Federal Register announcing a webinar series in connection with the three new broadband grant programs authorized and funded by the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2021. This Notice announces changes to the dates on which the webinars will be held.

The Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2021 (the ‘‘Act’’) appropriated $285 million to NTIA to establish the Connecting Minority Communities (CMC) Pilot Program. The CMC Pilot Program will provide grants to eligible historically Black colleges or universities (HBCUs); Tribal Colleges or Universities (TCUs); and Minorityserving institutions (MSIs) in anchor communities for broadband internet access service, equipment, or to hire information technology personnel to facilitate educational instruction including remote instruction, and to lend or provide equipment to eligible students or patrons. This final rule describes NTIA’s programmatic scope, eligibility criteria, and general guidelines for the CMC Pilot Program as authorized by the Act. NTIA will subsequently publish a Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO) on www.grants.gov that will provide more details regarding the CMC eligibility guidelines, application instructions, and program requirements. This final rule is effective on June 15, 2021.

This Interagency Agreement sets forth the agreement between the Federal Communications Commission (FCC), the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA), and NTIA to require coordination among the Covered Agencies for the distribution of funds for broadband deployment under the FCC’s High-Cost Programs, the programs administered by the Rural Utilities Service of USDA, and the programs administered by or coordinated through NTIA.

The National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) will host webinars in connection with the three new broadband grant programs authorized and funded by the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2021: The Broadband Infrastructure Program, the Tribal Broadband Connectivity Program, and the Connecting Minority Communities Pilot Program. The webinars are designed to help prospective applicants understand the grant programs and to assist applicants to prepare high quality grant applications.

The National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) will host broadband grant program public virtual listening sessions in connection with the five new broadband grant programs authorized and funded by the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act: The Broadband Equity, Access, and Deployment Program; the Enabling Middle Mile Broadband Infrastructure Program; and the Digital Equity Act Programs, which include the State Digital Equity Planning Grant Program, State Digital Equity Capacity Grant Program, and Digital Equity Competitive Grant Program. These public virtual listening sessions are designed to collect stakeholder input to help inform program development and implementation.

The National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) will host a pre-Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO) technical assistance webinar series in March-May 2022 in connection with the five new broadband grant programs authorized and funded by the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA): The Broadband Equity, Access, and Deployment Program; the Enabling Middle Mile Broadband Infrastructure Program; and the Digital Equity Act Programs, which include the State Digital Equity Planning Grant Program, State Digital Equity Capacity Grant Program, and Digital Equity Competitive Grant Program. These pre-NOFO technical assistance webinars are designed to help prospective applicants understand NTIA's IIJA broadband grant programs and to assist applicants to prepare high quality grant applications.

Memorandum of Understanding Regarding Information Sharing dated as of May 9, 2022, between the FCC, U.S. Department of Agriculture, the U.S. Department of the Treasury, and NTIA.