NTIA’s Office of Internet Connectivity and Growth (OICG) is dedicated to achieving the Administration’s vision of digital equity and universal access to broadband. OICG administers a range of broadband and digital equity grant programs focused on promoting broadband access and digital inclusion. Following the recent passage of Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, NTIA will implement the Broadband Equity, Access, and Deployment (BEAD) program, the Enabling Middle Mile Broadband Infrastructure Program, an additional Tribal Broadband Connectivity Program funding round, and three Digital Equity Act programs. OICG is also administering the initial Tribal Broadband Connectivity Grant program, the Broadband Infrastructure Deployment Grant program, the Connecting Minority Communities Pilot Program, as well as implementing the provisions of the ACCESS Broadband Act. These initiatives were codified with the passage of the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2021. OICG also manages the BroadbandUSA program, the National Broadband Availability Map (NBAM), the Indicators of Broadband Need (IBN) map, the Minority Broadband Initiative (MBI) and supports interagency coordination efforts. These programs help to further the deployment and use of broadband technology, which lays the groundwork for sustainable economic growth, improved education, public safety, health care, and the advancement of other national priorities.
- The BroadbandUSA program promotes innovation and economic growth by supporting efforts to expand broadband access and meaningful use across America. BroadbandUSA serves local and state governments, industry and nonprofits that seek to expand broadband connectivity and promote digital inclusion. BroadbandUSA’s services are driven by the needs and interests of state and local communities, and focus on supporting planning efforts, helping to identify funding, and advising on state and local broadband programs. BroadbandUSA regularly convenes state broadband officials and tracks state-wide broadband efforts through the State Broadband Leaders Network (SBLN).
- The NBAM is a secure geographic information system (GIS) platform for the visualization and comparison of federal, state, and commercially available broadband data sets. The NBAM will help identify regions with insufficient service, compare multiple data-sets to identify discrepancies in broadband availability, and produce reports and analyses that could be used for broadband policy, planning, and investment decision-making.
- The IBN is a publicly available digital map, that includes an aggregated subset of NBAM data, that displays key indicators of broadband needs across the country. This is the first interactive, public map that allows users to explore different datasets about where people do not have quality Internet access.
- NTIA’s interagency coordination efforts focus on improving coordination between Federal broadband support programs and removing Federal regulatory barriers to broadband deployment to make it easier for broadband providers to build out networks across the country. The ACCESS Broadband Act requires agencies to further coordinate Federal broadband programs to prevent duplication and ensure funds are being distributed in an efficient, tech-neutral, and financially sustainable manner. More than 20 different federal agencies currently collaborate in this interagency effort.
In the past, OICG (formerly OTIA) also administered the following grant programs:
- The Broadband Technology Opportunities Program (BTOP) and the State Broadband Initiative, an investment of approximately $4 billion in projects throughout the United States to support the deployment of broadband infrastructure, enhance and expand public computer centers, encourage sustainable adoption of broadband service, and promote statewide broadband planning and data collection activities.
Associate Administrator: Douglas Kinkoph
Contact
Office of Internet Connectivity and Growth
National Telecommunications & Information Administration
U.S. Department of Commerce
1401 Constitution Ave., N.W.
Washington, D.C. 20230
Phone: (202) 482-5802