This Native American Heritage Month We Must Recommit to Closing the Digital Divide and Increasing Digital Equity and Opportunity for Native Americans

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As our Nation honors Native American Heritage Month, the Department of Commerce remains committed to building back a better, more equitable economy where no one is left behind. By implementing the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, Commerce’s National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) will help ensure every person in this country, especially those living on Tribal land and other underserved areas, has access to reliable and affordable high-speed Internet. Indigenous communities are among the most unserved and underserved populations for broadband deployment and adoption in the country, which has been devastatingly evident throughout the disproportionate impact of the COVID-19 pandemic. Roughly half of the households in tribal lands lack broadband service at home. Fortunately, more help is on the way. The bipartisan Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act includes a $42.45 billion infrastructure program and important measures on affordability and digital inclusion, as well as an additional $2 billion for NTIA’s Tribal Broadband Connectivity Program (TBCP). The TBCP is designed to help tribal communities participate more fully in today’s modern economy. Grants are available to eligible Native American, Alaska Native, and Native Hawaiian entities for broadband deployment, digital inclusion, workforce development, telehealth, and distance learning. 


This Native American Heritage Month We Must Recommit to Closing the Digital Divide and Increasing Digital Equity and Opportunity for Native Americans