{"id":411693,"date":"2024-07-29T14:00:00","date_gmt":"2024-07-29T14:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.saipantribune.com\/?p=411693"},"modified":"-0001-11-30T00:00:00","modified_gmt":"-0001-11-29T14:00:00","slug":"80M-approved-for-CNMI-to-build-out-broadband","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.saipantribune.com\/index.php\/80M-approved-for-CNMI-to-build-out-broadband\/","title":{"rendered":"$80M approved for CNMI to build out broadband"},"content":{"rendered":"

The CNMI last week was awarded nearly $80 million to improve the broadband infrastructure on the islands following the National Telecommunications and Information Administration\u2019s approval of Vol. 2 of the CNMI Broadband Policy and Development Office\u2019s Broadband Equity, Access, and Deployment Initial Proposal.<\/p>\n

Delegate Gregorio Kilili C. Sablan (D-MP) said the close to $80-million funding again proves that the infrastructure funding law that passed when Democrats controlled the House and Senate in 2021 continues to benefit the Northern Marianas.<\/p>\n

\u201cA second installment of funding, $79,546,709.02, was awarded Wednesday to help meet President Biden\u2019s goal of connecting everyone in America with affordable, reliable, high-speed Internet service. Gov. Arnold I. Palacios said the funding \u2018will create new opportunities in education, healthcare, and business, helping us build a more resilient and connected CNMI…\u2019 We are one of only 24 states and territories to so far receive this full approval. Congratulations to the Commonwealth\u2019s Broadband Policy & Development Office for its continuing success!\u201d he said in his e-kilili<\/em> newsletter over the weekend.<\/p>\n

Along with the CNMI, NTIA also approved Utah for $317 million and the U.S. Virgin Islands for $27 million for their respective initial proposals of the BEAD program, a cornerstone of the Biden-Harris Administration\u2019s \u201cInternet for All\u201d initiative.<\/p>\n

This approval enables the CNMI, Utah, and the U.S. Virgin Islands to request access to funding and begin implementation of the BEAD program\u2014a major step toward closing the digital divide and meeting the Biden\u2019s goal of connecting everyone in America with affordable, reliable, high-speed Internet service.<\/p>\n

\u201cThanks to President Biden\u2019s Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, the Department of Commerce is ensuring everyone in Utah, the Northern Mariana Islands, the U.S. Virgin Islands, and all across America, has access to affordable, reliable high-speed Internet,\u201d said U.S. Secretary of Commerce Gina Raimondo. \u201cCongratulations to the teams in the Utah, Northern Mariana Islands, and the U.S. Virgin Islands. We look forward to working with you all to ensure everyone in your state and territories is connected.\u201d<\/p>\n

The BEAD program is a $42.45-billion state grant program authorized by President Biden\u2019s Bipartisan Infrastructure Law. The states, territories, and Washington, D.C. were allocated funding to deploy or upgrade high-speed Internet networks to ensure that everyone has access to reliable, affordable, high-speed Internet service.<\/p>\n

Once deployment goals are met, any remaining funding can be used on high-speed internet adoption, training, and workforce development efforts, among other eligible uses.<\/p>\n

\u201cToday, Utah, the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands, the U.S. Virgin Islands can move their Internet for All efforts from planning to action,\u201d said Assistant Secretary of Commerce for Communications and Information and NTIA Administrator Alan Davidson. \u201cI congratulate the state and territory broadband offices for developing strong proposals for how they will connect all of their residents to high-speed Internet service.\u201d<\/p>\n

BEAD-eligible entities\u2014the 56 states, territories, and the District of Columbia\u2014are required to submit for NTIA\u2019s approval an Initial Proposal detailing how they plan to spend their BEAD allocation to deliver high-speed Internet access to all unserved and underserved locations within their borders. All states submitted their initial proposals by Dec. 27, 2023.<\/p>\n

NTIA provides updates on the status of all 56 states and territories\u2019 initial proposal.<\/p>\n

NTIA will continue to announce approval of initial proposal on a rolling basis.<\/p>\n

One year from initial proposal approval, states must submit a final proposal that details, among other things, the outcome of the subgrantee selection process and how the state will ensure universal coverage.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe are excited to connect all of Utah to broadband,\u201d said Utah Gov. Spencer Cox. \u201cProviding high-speed Internet to homes, businesses, and individuals catapults the state\u2019s trajectory as the fastest-growing and best economy in the nation and globally.\u201d<\/p>\n

The Bipartisan Infrastructure Law includes a historic $65-billion investment to expand affordable and reliable high-speed Internet access in communities across the U.S. NTIA recently launched a series of new high-speed Internet grant programs funded by the law that will build high-speed Internet infrastructure across the country, create more low-cost high-speed Internet service options, and address the digital equity and inclusion needs in our communities.<\/p>\n

For more information on the Biden-Harris Administration\u2019s high-speed Internet service programs, please visit InternetforAll.gov.<\/p>\n

NTIA, part of the U.S. Department of Commerce, is the Executive Branch agency that advises the President on telecommunications and information policy issues. NTIA\u2019s programs and policymaking focus largely on expanding broadband Internet access and adoption in America, expanding the use of spectrum by all users, advancing public safety communications, and ensuring that the Internet remains an engine for innovation and economic growth.<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

Gregorio Kilili C. Sablan<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

The CNMI last week was awarded nearly $80 million to improve the broadband infrastructure on…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":15,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[4],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-411693","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-local-news"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.saipantribune.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/411693","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.saipantribune.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.saipantribune.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.saipantribune.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/15"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.saipantribune.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=411693"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.saipantribune.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/411693\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.saipantribune.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=411693"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.saipantribune.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=411693"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.saipantribune.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=411693"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}