NTIA Opens Third Round of the Tribal Broadband Connectivity Program

The U.S. Department of Commerce's National Telecommunications and Information Administration opened the third—and, given the dollars remaining, likely final—competition for funding under the Tribal Broadband Connectivity Program. Congress created the roughly $3 billion program in two pieces: $980 million through the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2021, and $2 billion through the 2021 Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act. This third round makes up to $540 million available—what's left after two earlier notices of funding opportunity in 2021 and 2024. The rules governing who can win it, and how, will impact connectivity for Tribal Governments, Tribal Colleges and Universities, the Department of Hawaiian Home Lands on behalf of the Native Hawaiian Community, Tribal organizations, and Alaska Native Corporations—as well as for the people who live on the lands those entities serve. Applications are due September 17, 2026, and NTIA does not expect to begin announcing awards until Spring 2027.