ECG’s Office of Economic & Community Development assembles a list of current grants and funding opportunities monthly. We regularly update our blog and will continue to share information about additional funding opportunities.

This month we highlight program offerings from the U.S. Department of Commerce with a focus on their Broadband Infrastructure Program. NTIA (National Telecommunications and Information Administration) encourages municipalities, non-profits, or cooperatives that own and/or operate broadband networks to participate in this program as part of a covered partnership 

U.S. Department of Commerce
National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA)

Application Period: 5/19/21 – 8/17/21

Type: Grants

The Broadband Infrastructure Program makes grants on a competitive basis to covered partnerships for covered broadband projects. A covered partnership may include more than one provider of fixed broadband service as part of its application. Additionally, a provider of fixed broadband service may participate in more than one covered partnership. NTIA encourages municipalities, non-profits, or cooperatives that own and/or operate broadband networks to participate in this program as part of a covered partnership.

NTIA’s Broadband Infrastructure Program was established by the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2021. In the priority order defined by the Act, NTIA will accept applications for projects that are designed to:

• Provide broadband service to the greatest number of households in an eligible service area
• Provide broadband service to rural areas
• Be most cost-effective in providing broadband service, or
• Provide broadband service with a download speed of at least 100 Mbps and an upload speed of at least 20 Mbps.

NTIA will group applications based on the priority above that each application addresses and will sequence its review of application groups in the statutory order listed above.

NTIA is holding a series of webinars to further inform stakeholders about the program. The next Broadband Infrastructure webinars will be held on June 9 and 10.