The National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) of the United States Department of Commerce has recently announced that it has received more than 200 applications for the Connecting Minority Communities Pilot Program, according to a NTIA press release.
Over $833 million has been requested to procure broadband internet service, equipment and devices, as well as to accomplish other project objectives.
“This program is an important step in closing the digital divide both at these vital higher-education institutions as well as the communities they serve," U.S. Secretary of Commerce Gina M. Raimondo stated in the press release. "But there is more to be done.”
Additionally, the NTIA has begun accepting applications for the $268 million grant program approved and sponsored by the Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2021.
Grants will also be provided to eligible historically black colleges and universities, tribal colleges or universities and other minority-serving institutions.
“NTIA looks forward to working closely with all eligible entities in these efforts to expand broadband access and address the digital equity needs of their respective communities,” Acting NTIA Administrator Evelyn Remaley stated in the press release.
The Connecting Minority Communities Program is funded in part by the recent bipartisan infrastructure bill signed by President Joe Biden.
Biden's bill, which dedicates $65 billion to growing U.S. broadband internet services, funds NTIA with $48 billion of this sum to establish low-cost broadband options.
