Utah

Stakeholder Engagement

The UBC, with support from the Utah Federal Program Officer (FPO) representing the Office of Internet Connectivity and Growth (OICG), conducted robust stakeholder engagement across the state. This included presentations with all seven associations of governments and listening sessions with all 29 counties, which were primarily in-person.

Grants

OICG awarded $15.8 million in Tribal Broadband Connectivity Program (TBCP) grant funding to the Ute Indian Tribe of the Uintah & Ouray Reservation, Utah to deploy broadband infrastructure. This project aims to install fiber to directly connect more than 1,000 unserved Native American households and anchor institutions.

Additional Outreach

The Utah Broadband Center awarded over $900,000 in planning grants to facilitate additional grassroots planning and outreach to 28 organizations, including associations of cities, counties, associations of governments, state agencies, education institutions, and community-based organizations.

Internet for All: Utah Broadband Confluence

On June 7, 2023, the National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) partnered with the Utah Governor’s Office of Economic Opportunity to hold an Internet for All Broadband Confluence in Provo. At the confluence, the state broadband office became one of the first in the country to release drafts of both its Five-Year Action Plan and state Digital Equity Plan for public comment. Attendees listened to presentations on local broadband and digital equity plans, inspirational storytellers from the community, and best practices to ensure all Utah residents have access to affordable, reliable, high-speed Internet. This hybrid event had 245 in-person attendees and over 80 virtual attendees.

Tribal Consultations

Utah was one of the first states in the country to complete its Tribal consultation meetings in January 2023, attended by five of the eight Tribal nations in Utah and the Lieutenant Governor.

Mapping

The state instituted a collaborative effort between the Utah Broadband Center (UBC), Utah Geospatial Resource Center, and county geospatial information system (GIS) departments to ensure the Federal Communications Commission’s (FCC) National Broadband Map accurately reflected the total number of broadband serviceable locations. These mapping challenges provided more accurate data for the Broadband Equity, Access, and Deployment (BEAD) Program and other deployment options.