Publications

States and territories are required to coordinate with a variety of stakeholder groups on the Broadband, Equity, Access and Deployment (BEAD) and Digital Equity (DE) programs and must document their local coordination and outreach activities. This involves providing a detailed description of their efforts to engage Tribal and local governments, community groups, industry, union and worker organizations, and underrepresented populations (among others) in their BEAD Five-Year Action Plan, Initial Proposal, and Final Proposal.

Funding Opportunity Number:
NTIA-ICG-TBCPO-2023-2008098

NTIA issues this NOFO to describe the requirements under which it will award grants for the second round of the TBCP, authorized by the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2021, Division N, Title IX, Section 905(c), Public Law 116-260, 134 Stat. 1182 (Dec. 27, 2020) (Act), as amended by the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, also known as the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, Division F, Title II, Section 60201, Public Law 117-58, 135 Stat. 429 (Nov. 15, 2021) (IIJA).

September 1 through 17, 2020,  NTIA’s Minority Broadband Initiative and USDA’s Rural Utilities Service developed and conducted a 6-part technical assistance webinar series to promote HBCU competitiveness for USDA broadband funding for the Distance Learning & Telemedicine, Community Connect, and Reconnect programs.

Consistent with recent Executive Orders and commitments the U.S. Department of Commerce has made under the American Broadband Initiative (ABI) to close the digital divide, NTIA is increasing minority stakeholder engagement around solving broadband access challenges in vulnerable communities. To that end, NTIA has launched the Minority Broadband Initiative (MBI), working with Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) to ensure all Americans can participate in the digital economy.