The Department of Commerce’s National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) will launch a new Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO) in spring 2026 that is expected to make at least $500 million available for Tribal broadband projects.
The funding effort follows NTIA’S broader reform of the Tribal Broadband Connectivity Program (TBCP), which agency officials say will reduce red tape, increase flexibility for applicants and strengthen federal support for high-speed internet deployment across Tribal lands.
The reforms center on the TBCP, a $3 billion initiative funded through the Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2021 and the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law. Under the newly revised structure, NTIA will continue to award equitable distribution grants, while all additional infrastructure and use and adoption grants will be awarded under the Trump Administration’s newly released federal grantmaking process.
Eligible applicants for the NOFO will likely include Tribal governments, Tribal Colleges and Universities, the Department of Hawaiian Home Lands, Tribal organizations and Alaska Native Corporations. A qualifying Native entity can work with non-Native partners, if the person in charge represents a Native group, and the people who will benefit from the program are members of that Native group.
Expected eligible activities under the 2026 NOFO include:
- Internet infrastructure.
- Affordability programs.
- Telehealth.
- Distance learning initiatives.
To date, NTIA has issued two funding rounds under the Tribal Broadband Connectivity Program. The first NOFO in 2021 awarded more than $1.87 billion for 226 projects serving more than 400 Tribes. A second round in 2024 and provided $360 million across 48 projects.
NTIA plans to release additional guidance in the coming months, including application timelines, eligibility clarifications and instructions for applicants preparing proposals.
Photo by Pixabay
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