Winnebago will expand high-speed internet in the community
Congratulations to the Winnebago Tribe of Nebraska
Over $32 million announced during an event this week in Winnebago will expand high-speed internet in the community funded by the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law.
The official announcement is shared below. >>>
Winnebago, NE – The Department of Commerce’s National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) announced $35,252,376.44 in a grant awarded from the Internet for All initiative to the Winnebago Tribe of Nebraska. NTIA officials announced the grant at an event at the Ho-Chunk Village, Winnebago Statue Garden alongside tribal leaders.
With funding from the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, the grant will expand high-speed internet infrastructure deployment projects through the Internet for All Initiative’s Tribal Broadband Connectivity Program. In all, the projects will connect over 600 homes with the high-speed internet connectivity necessary for learning, work, and telehealth.
“We are making an historic investment in Tribal communities to ensure reliable, affordable high-speed Internet for all,” said Secretary of Commerce Gina Raimondo. “These grants – made possible by the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law – underscore President Biden’s commitment to closing the digital divide in the United States, especially within Tribal lands. Today’s awards will not only build high-speed Internet capacity within Tribal Nations, but also bring digital opportunities for good-paying jobs, education, and healthcare.”
“We are thrilled to be a recipient of a TBCP award, which will result in access to quality internet access throughout the Winnebago Tribe and level the playing field of opportunity for our Tribal Nation and our tribal members. Throughout the pandemic we saw firsthand the importance of internet access and how critical it is for our tribal member to participate in remote education, telehealth, and economic development opportunities,” said Winnebago Tribe Chairwoman Victoria Kitcheyan.
These awards are part of 23 new grants announced today totaling more than $601.6 million to tribal entities. These awards are part of the Biden Administration’s commitment to nation-to-nation engagement and an effort to connect everyone in America, including American Indians and Natives, to affordable, reliable, high-speed internet.
Today’s awards bring the total of the program to $1.35 billion awarded to 94 Tribal entities. The funds will be used to invest in high-speed Internet network deployment and digital skills training to improve access to education, jobs, and healthcare on Tribal lands.
The Tribal Broadband Connectivity Program is a nearly $3 billion grant program and part of the Biden-Harris Administration’s Internet for All Initiative. The funds are made available from the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2021 ($980 million) and President Biden’s Bipartisan Infrastructure Law ($2 billion). Additional grants will be announced on a rolling basis this fall. In total, the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law includes $65 billion to provide affordable, reliable, high-speed Internet across the country.
A Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO) for $1 billion in funds from the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law will be announced in the coming months. NTIA recently held three Tribal Consultations with Tribal leaders to solicit their input on the NOFO.
