NTIA Announces $790 Million in Tribal Broadband Funding

WASHINGTON, June 17, 2026 – The Commerce Department is soliciting applications for $790 million in Tribal broadband funding, the agency said Wednesday.

Of that, $540 million will come from the agency’s Tribal Broadband Connectivity Program and $250 million will come from Digital Equity Act funding that was set aside for Tribal entities.

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Applications for both pots of money are due Sept. 17, the agency said in a release.

Commerce’s National Telecommunications and Information Administration said in November it was planning on updating those programs to cut red tape. The notices of funding opportunity (NOFOs) announced Wednesday reflected those changes, the agency said.

“By reducing unnecessary red tape, increasing flexibility, and maximizing the impact of federal dollars, these NOFOs help Tribal and Native nations focus on connecting their communities, not navigating bureaucracy,” NTIA Administrator Arielle Roth said in a statement.

When the agency announced its intention to make changes, it rejected TBCP applications that had previously been given tentative approval, which some tribes found frustrating. A Tribal broadband advocate said they were still reviewing the new NOFOs and assessing the changes.

NTIA is holding an informational webinar on the NOFOs next week on June 24.

The TBCP funding can be used for broadband infrastructure projects or broadband adoption efforts. Infrastructure deployments are eligible for $1 million-$25 million in funding, and adoption initiatives are eligible for $500,000-$2.5 million.

Applications for network deployment projects will get priority, the agency said. Qualified adoption initiatives induce subsidizing broadband subscriptions for low-income households, device subsidies, and digital skills trainings. Projects will have to be completed in four years.

The digital equity funding can be put toward similar initiatives to the TBCP adoption funding. Allowable uses include broadband service and device subsidies, digital skills trainings, as well as public access computing centers and programs that “facilitate educational and employment opportunities through broadband.” Participants will have to match 10 percent of the funding they receive, unless they get a waiver.

NTIA awarded $1.8 billion under the first round of TBCP, and $360 million under the second round. A March report from Commerce's inspector general said about $600 million in round one funding and $23 million in round two funding had been drawn down and used by recipients.

The Digital Equity Act made a total of about $2.75 billion in total for broadband adoption efforts. Aside from the Tribal portion made available Wednesday, the funding was canceled by the Trump administration last year.