News

NTIA administers grant programs that further the deployment and use of broadband and other technologies in America, laying the groundwork for sustainable economic growth; improved education, public safety, and health care; and the advancement of other national priorities.  

California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) has issued a Proposed Decision under Rulemaking 20-08-021 for the California Advanced Service Fund (CASF) “Local Agency Technical Assistance Grant Program (LATA)” with a $50 million allocation to the program.  This item is scheduled to be approved at the February 24, 2022 CPUC Meeting.

CASF LATA Grants:
Technical Assistance grants are available to local governments and tribal governments to reimburse such entities for costs related to the development of broadband network deployment projects to benefit unserved Californians, including the costs of joint powers authority formation, environmental studies, network design, and engineering study expenses.

The Proposed Decision is for grants up to $500,000 per fiscal year approved through ministerial staff review if grant request meets requirements listed in LATA Grant Guidelines (Attachment 1)

The FCC released a Report and Order and Further Notice of Proposed Rulemaking that establishes rules for the Affordable Connectivity Program.  Created by the Infrastructure Jobs and Investment Act, the program provides $14.2B toward the reduction of monthly broadband costs for qualifying households.  The ACP will provide qualifying households a discount of up to $30 from a participating provider’s bill. Some participating providers are offering an additional benefit of up to a $100 discount off the purchase of computers or tablets if the consumer pays more than $10 but less than $50 towards the purchase of the device. 

Households qualify for the ACP through participation in a number of public benefit programs or having a household income of up to 200% below the Federal poverty guidelines. 

The ACP replaced the temporary Emergency Broadband Benefit (EBB) Program, on December 31, 2021.

The Southern California Association of Governments (SCAG) and San Diego Association of Governments (SANDAG) are inviting interested parties to submit offerings related to the deployment of broadband/communications infrastructure and high-quality broadband services in Southern California.

Broadband deployment and adoption will receive a historic $65 billion boost once President Joe Biden signs the infrastructure bill passed by the U.S. House of Representatives Friday.

While experts doubt the money will take care of all of America's broadband problems, a number of funding opportunities await states and local areas with connectivity projects.

Below is how the $65 billion breaks down by four major categories: deployment, emergency benefits, adoption and miscellaneous.

As part of the historic $6 billion broadband investment advanced in partnership with legislative leaders earlier this year, the initial project locations are based on known unserved and underserved areas across the state. The projects will connect to the core of the global internet and interconnect to last-mile infrastructure, which is the final leg that provides internet service to a customer.

When Congress developed and passed the American Rescue Plan Act, it tasked the Treasury Department with writing the rules for some key programs, including the State & Local Fiscal Recovery Funds (SLFRF). That program is distributing $350 billion to local and state governments, which can use it for a variety of purposes that include broadband infrastructure and digital inclusion efforts.