More than 230 applications requesting a total of $2.5 billion were submitted for the U.S. Department of Commerce’s National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) Broadband Infrastructure Program, according to the agency. The program, which was created in the Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2021, has a budget of $288 million.
Funding will go toward broadband projects in unserved or underserved rural areas. The application window closed last week.
Grants will go to covered partnerships between a state, or political subdivisions of a state, and providers of fixed broadband service.
Broadband Infrastructure Program Applications
The competitive awards process for the Broadband Infrastructure Program will prioritize applications for projects that:
- Provide broadband service to the greatest number of households in an eligible service area
- Provide broadband service to rural areas
- Are most cost-effective in providing broadband service
- Provide broadband service with a download speed of at least 100 Mbps and an upload speed of at least 20 Mbps
“The intense demand for this program across the country demonstrates the widespread need for better broadband connectivity in unserved communities,” said U.S. Secretary of Commerce Gina M. Raimondo, in a prepared statement. “These investments are critical, but there is more to be done. The bipartisan Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, recently passed by the Senate, will expand upon the groundwork being laid by this program to advance digital equity and get us one step closer to every American having access to high-speed, affordable, and reliable Internet.”
“The state and local governments leading these proposed projects are strong partners with the federal government in closing the digital divide,” said Evelyn Remaley, acting NTIA administrator, in a prepared statement. “We look forward to working closely with them in these efforts to expand Internet access throughout the country.”