The National Telecommunications and Information Administration recently awarded grants to two Tribal nations as part of theTribal Broadband Connectivity Program.
The Mille Lacs Band of Ojibwe in Minnesota and the Pueblo of Acoma in New Mexico received more than $25.7 million, according to a March 23 news release. These grants bring the total to more than $1.75 billion provided to 135 Tribal entities, funded by the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law.
"The Biden-Harris administration is committed to closing the digital divide across all Tribal communities," Raimondo said in the news release. "This investment in high-speed Internet access for the Mille Lacs Band of Ojibwe in Minnesota and the Pueblo of Acoma in New Mexico will help people in these communities apply for jobs, access healthcare and further their education online."
The funding is awarded through President Joe Biden's Internet for All initiative, the release reported. The latter program aims to connect more than 1,500 unserved Tribal households and community anchor institutions to affordable, reliable, high-speed Internet service.
Mille Lacs Band of Ojibwe plans to spend its approximately $11.4 million grant on a broadband infrastructure deployment project to install fiber to directly connect 356 unserved households, seven unserved businesses and 10 unserved community anchor institutions, according to the release.
Pueblo of Acoma plans to spend its approximately $14.3 million grant on a broadband infrastructure deployment project to install fiber to directly connect 1,167 unserved households and anchor institutions, the release reported.
The awards were announced by Assistant Secretary of Commerce for Communications and Information and NTIA Administrator Alan Davidson during NTIA's Tribal Broadband Leaders Network Summit in Chandler, Ariz., March 23, the news release said.
"Tribal communities often face high barriers to Internet adoption that hinder their ability to thrive in the modern digital economy," Davidson said in the release. "Today’s grants to the Mille Lacs Band of Ojibwe and the Pueblo of Acoma will reduce these barriers for more than 1,500 Tribal households, connecting them to economic and educational opportunities that many of us take for granted."
