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Application windows for two NOFO’s opened June 17 as the NTIA takes steps to make $790 million available for Tribal broadband.
Edited by Brad Randall, Broadband Communities
June 17, 2026 — The National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA), part of the Department of Commerce, has unveiled two significant funding opportunities aimed at enhancing broadband connectivity on Tribal lands.
The Tribal Broadband Connectivity Program (TBCP) and the Native Entities Grant Program (NEGP), the latter being the native entity set-aside under the Digital Equity Act, together offer nearly $800 million to Tribal and Native communities.
These funds are intended to improve infrastructure availability and support various broadband-related initiatives, the NTIA’s June 17 release stated.
NTIA’s release underscored the intent behind these funding opportunities is to help Tribal and Native nations focus on connecting their communities rather than struggling with bureaucratic processes.
According to Arielle Roth, Assistant Secretary of Commerce for Communications and Information and NTIA Administrator, the grants build on the agency’s ongoing commitment to universal broadband access, emphasizing a reduction in red tape and an increase in the flexibility and impact of federal dollars.
The application process for both funding opportunities opened on June 17, 2026, and will remain open until September 17, 2026, the NTIA said.
The NTIA also said they plan to award funds on a rolling basis, beginning in the spring of 2027.
To assist potential applicants, NTIA provides detailed information, including fact sheets for both the TBCP and NEGP programs, available on its BroadbandUSA website. Additionally, the agency said they will host a launch webinar for these programs on June 24, 2026.
Tribal broadband will also be an ongoing focus at Broadband Communities Summit 2026.
On August 26 at 2:30 p.m., Tribal connectivity takes center stage at the Summit, when Joel Ogren, the CEO of Assured Communications, and Tyson Johnston, of Toptana Technologies present “Building Connectivity from the Coast.”
The presentation will focus on a tribal partnership that advanced subsea cable infrastructure and backhaul infrastructure.
Some AI tools also assisted in the crafting of this report.
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