- Funding for Native Hawaiians
- Oregon Announces More Than $100M for Broadband
- States Awarded Federal Funding
- Resource Supports Digital Equity Work for Nonprofits
- FBA Announces 2025 Workshops
- Maine Library Offers Technology Class
FUNDING FOR NATIVE HAWAIIANS
The Department of Hawaiian Home Lands (DHHL) has received a $72 million grant from the National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) to expand Internet access and adoption in native Hawaiian households.
Funds will be doled out over a four-year period with projects launching through 2028.
In addition to supporting infrastructure development projects, the grant will also support workforce development programs and digital equity and education initiatives. These initiatives will provide skills development for digital jobs; through hands-on training, individuals will have the opportunity to obtain telecommunications sector certifications. It will also include resources to improve digital literacy and access to digital education resources.
“The TBCP grant will enable DHHL to bring high-speed Internet, digital education programs and new community centers to our homesteads across the pae ʻāina,” DHHL Director Kali Watson said in a statement.
The funding, awarded through the nearly $3 billion Tribal Broadband Connectivity Program (TBCP), comes from the Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2021 and the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law. More grants will be announced on a rolling basis.
“It’s more than just connectivity; it’s about opening doors to opportunity, through education, employment, and access to health care and other essential services,” Watson said.
The $72 million grant announced this week, paired with a $17 million grant DHHL received from NTIA earlier this year, marks a total of $89 million for expanding connectivity on Hawaiian homelands.
OREGON ANNOUNCES MORE THAN $100M FOR BROADBAND
In other state news, the Oregon Broadband Office has issued Notices of Intent to Award $132,917,084 to support construction and deployment of wired broadband Internet throughout the state.
Eligible applicants included municipalities, private entities, electric utilities, cooperatives, municipal affiliates, nonprofit organizations and partnerships.
The office received 62 applications requesting approximately $445 million from a program allocated less than $157 million, so the selection process was a competitive one, according to a statement from Director of the Oregon Broadband Office Nick Batz. Awardees were ranked based on social vulnerability index, unserved locations and affordability.
Awarded funds must be used and projects must be operational by December 2026.
STATES AWARDED FEDERAL FUNDING
NTIA has begun approving states’ applications for Digital Equity Capacity Grant Program funding. The newly announced awards include $5 million for Alaska and $23 million for Ohio.
Awards made thus far have gone to Alabama, California, Connecticut, Georgia, Indiana, Minnesota, New Mexico, Utah, Wisconsin and West Virginia. States will use this funding to implement their digital equity plans.
The initiative is one of three grant programs established through the Digital Equity Act. NTIA will continue announcing awards from this first round of state Digital Equity Capacity Grant Program funding on a rolling basis.
RESOURCE SUPPORTS DIGITAL EQUITY WORK FOR NONPROFITS
A new report commissioned by Digitunity, a national nonprofit focused on digital inclusion, aims to be a resource for nonprofits. The report, A Simple Guide for Conducting Nonprofit Evaluation for the Digital Equity Community, provides tools to help organizations better engage with stakeholders and secure essential funding for digital equity work.
It offers information on effective data collection and analysis practices, how to use data to communicate the value of programs to stakeholders, and tools for building relationships, as coalitions play an important role in achieving digital equity.
“This guide supports nonprofit organizations in effectively measuring and showcasing their impact in digital equity efforts,” Karisa Tashjian, Digitunity senior director of programs and strategic partnerships, said in a statement.
FBA ANNOUNCES 2025 WORKSHOPS
The Fiber Broadband Association (FBA) this week announced seven cities that will serve as the locations of its 2025 Regional Fiber Connect Workshops. These workshops will bring fiber expertise to communities at a crucial time, as Broadband Equity, Access and Deployment funding becomes available in 2025.
“Our 2025 workshops address the challenges that network operators, state broadband offices and local leaders care about the most … for broadband expansion,” Evann Freeman, FBA conference chair, said in a statement.
In 2024, this series garnered more than 1,600 participants. In 2025, workshops will be held in San Antonio, Texas; Philadelphia, Penn.; Anchorage, Alaska; Toronto, Canada; Spokane, Wash.; Scottsdale, Ariz.; and Kansas City, Mo.
MAINE LIBRARY OFFERS TECHNOLOGY CLASSES
The National Digital Equity Center in Maine is partnering with the Thomas Memorial Library and the Greater Portland Council of Governments to offer technology classes to the community.
Libraries play an essential role in closing the digital divide, with 95 percent of libraries today offering some kind of digital literacy training.
The goal of these classes is to offer library patrons information on how to use technology, and although they primarily aim to offer support to senior citizens, they are open to people of any age.
The courses will be Monday and Tuesday mornings over the coming months.
