Office of Broadband

Florida Department of Economic Opportunity 

Rural Infrastructure Fund

• Program Website: Rural Infrastructure Fund
• Program Overview: Facilitates the planning, preparing and financing of traditional economic development or nature-based tourism infrastructure projects that encourages job creation and capital investment in rural communities.
• Program Purpose Specific to Broadband: Eligible projects and uses of funds may include improving access to and the availability of broadband Internet service. Eligible uses of funds shall include improvements to broadband Internet service and access in unserved or underserved rural communities. Improvements to broadband Internet service and access must be conducted through a partnership(s) with one or more dealers registered with the Department of Revenue as a provider of communications services in Florida. Partnership(s) must be established through a competitive selection process that is publicly noticed.
• Eligible Entities: Eligible Applicants are units of local government within an area designated as a Rural Area of Opportunity or a rural county or community as defined by Section 288.0656, Florida Statutes.
• Funding Amount/Cycle: Rural Infrastructure Fund base funding ($7.1 million) provides funding in the amount of $2.5 million is available to rural communities statewide.

Community Development Block Grant - Coronavirus Small Cities and Entitlement Programs (CDBG-CV)

• Program Website: CDBG-CV Webpage
• Program Overview: The CDBG-CV funds are federally-awarded by the United States Department of Housing and Urban Development and designed to help local governments prepare for, prevent, or respond to the health and economic impacts of the pandemic. The activities must be critical to their locality and primarily for the benefit of low- and moderate-income residents. Local governments are encouraged to include activities that benefit workforce housing, training, and sustainability, as well as broadband infrastructure and planning. 
• Program Purpose Specific to Broadband: Funds are designed to help local governments to prepare for, prevent, or respond to the health and economic impacts of the pandemic. Eligible activities include Broadband Planning and Public Infrastructure.

Each Activity Funded by CDBG Must Meet One of the Following National Objectives:

• Provide benefit to low- and moderate-income (LMI) persons; 
• Prevent or eliminate slum or blight conditions; or  
• Address urgent community development needs, which pose a serious and immediate threat to the health and welfare of the community for which other funding is not available. 

• Eligible Entities: Eligible CDBG-CV Small Cities Communities include municipalities and counties that participate in the Small Cities CDBG program. Communities may submit one application requesting a minimum of $200,000 and a maximum of $5 million in grant funding for one program or project through the competitive application cycle.  Eligible CDBG-CV Entitlement Communities include municipalities and counties that participate in the HUD entitlement program. Entitlement communities are encouraged to coordinate with local governments and subrecipient agencies within their jurisdiction and may apply for funding up to the amount allocated to the local government through a funding formula. 
• Funding Amount/Cycle: $93 million is available.  The deadline to apply for funding through the CDBG-CV Small Cities Program is November 1, 2021 at 5 p.m., Eastern Time.

Florida Department of Education

General Resources - Internet

• Program Website: General Resources - Internet
• Program Overview: Internet resources for families and teachers to support students returning to school.
• Program Purpose Specific to Broadband: Internet access.
• Eligible Entities: Teachers and families.
• Funding Amount/Cycle: Programs are available year-round.

Florida Internet and Television (FIT)

Linking Florida

• Program Website: FIT Member Low-Cost Internet Programs 
• Program Overview: FIT members have programs to further bridge the digital divide by offering Floridians discounted internet service for around $15 per month.
• Program Purpose Specific to Broadband: FIT, representing Florida’s five major internet providers, is finding ways to further provide essential internet services that are critical for students to continue another year of education — whether that is learning from home or completing homework at the kitchen table at the end of the school day.
• Eligible Entities: Public housing residents, low-income veterans, seniors, students and low-income households may qualify.

Federal Communications Commission

Emergency Broadband Benefit Program

• Program Website: Emergency Broadband Benefit Program 
• Program Overview: The Emergency Broadband Benefit Program was established to help lower the cost of high-speed internet for eligible households during the on-going COVID-19 pandemic. Offers up to $50/month discount for broadband services; up to $75/month discount for broadband services for households on Tribal lands; and a one-time discount of up to $100 for a laptop, desktop computer, or tablet purchased through a participating provider. The Emergency Broadband Benefit is limited to one monthly service discount and one device discount per eligible household.
• Program Purpose Specific to Broadband: Broadband services and equipment discounts. 
• Eligible Entities: A household is eligible if one member of the household meets at least one of the criteria below: qualifies for the Lifeline program; receives benefits under the free and reduced-price school lunch program or the school breakfast program, received a Federal Pell Grant during the current award year; experienced a substantial loss of income since February 29, 2020; meets the eligibility criteria for a participating providers' existing low-income or COVID-19 program.
• Funding Amount/Cycle: On May 12, 2021, eligible households will be able to enroll in the program to receive a monthly discount off the cost of broadband service from an approved provider. Eligible households can enroll through an approved provider or by visiting the Emergency Broadband Benefit Program Website. Congress approved $3.2 billion for the subsidies.  Program will end when the fund runs out of money or six months after the Department of Health and Human Services declares an end to the COVID-19 health emergency, whichever is sooner. 

Emergency Connectivity Fund (ECF)

• Program Website:  Emergency Connectivity Fund  
• Program Overview: The purpose of the program is to help schools and libraries provide the tools and services their communities need for remote learning during the COVID-19 emergency period. ECF will help provide relief to millions of students, school staff, and library patrons and will help close the Homework Gap for students who currently lack necessary Internet access or the devices they need to connect to classrooms.
• Program Purpose Specific to Broadband: For eligible schools and libraries, the ECF Program will cover reasonable costs of laptop and tablet computers; Wi-Fi hotspots; modems; routers; and broadband connectivity purchases for off-campus use by students, school staff, and library patrons. 
• Eligible Entities: Schools, libraries, and consortia of schools and libraries (e.g., regional or statewide groups of schools or libraries that apply together) that are eligible for support under the FCC's E-Rate Program and Tribal libraries eligible for support under the Library Services and Technology Act may request and receive support through the Emergency Connectivity Fund.
• Funding Amount/Cycle: $7.17 billion for Fiscal Year 2021-22. The initial ECF Program application filing window will open on June 29 and close on August 13. During the application filing window, eligible schools, libraries, and consortia of eligible schools and libraries, can submit requests for funding to purchase eligible equipment and services between July 1, 2021 and June 30, 2022.

E-Rate Program

• Program Website: E-Rate Program
• Program Overview: The schools and libraries universal service support program, commonly known as the E-Rate program, helps schools and libraries obtain affordable broadband. Discounts for support depend on the level of poverty and whether the school or library is located in an urban or rural area. The discounts range from 20 percent to 90 percent of the costs of eligible services.
• Program Purpose Specific to Broadband: Funding may be requested under two categories of service: services to a school or library (telecommunications, telecommunications services and Internet access), and services that deliver Internet access within schools and libraries (internal connections, basic maintenance of internal connections, and managed internal broadband services).
• Eligible Entities: Libraries and K-12 schools.
• Funding Amount/Cycle: E-rate program funding is based on demand up to an annual Commission-established cap of $4.15 billion.  Funding will be fixed five-year budget cycle with no roll over for unspent funds.  

United States Department of Education

General Resources - Internet

• Program Website: General Resources - Internet
• Program Overview: Internet resources for families and teachers to support students returning to school. 
• Program Purpose Specific to Broadband: Internet access. 
• Eligible Entities: Teachers and families.

Improving Basic Programs Operated by Local Educational Agencies, Title 1, Part A

• Program Website: Improving Basic Programs Operated by Local Educational Agencies, Title 1, Part A
• Program Overview: The Elementary and Secondary Education Act, Title I, Part A, provides financial assistance for Local Education Agencies and schools with high numbers/percentages of children from low-income families to help meet state academic standards.
• Program Purpose Specific to Broadband: Minor remodeling, consistent with 34 CFR Part 77, to improve the academic achievement of students served by Title I. 7.
• Eligible Entities: State/local governments and rural recipients.
• Funding Amount/Cycle: $16 billion for Fiscal Year 2020. Not available currently.

Promise Neighborhoods

• Program Website: Promise Neighborhoods
• Program Overview: The program provides funding to support eligible entities for broadband infrastructure, adoption and other broadband purposes.
• Program Purpose Specific to Broadband: Broadband infrastructure (e.g., construction), broadband adoption, digital skills training, mobile hotspots and hotspot data plans.
• Eligible Entities: Libraries, K-12 schools, higher education institutions and tribal entities.
• Funding Amount/Cycle: $16 billion for Fiscal Year 2020. Not available currently. 

Rural and Low-Income School Program and the Small, Rural School Achievement Program

• Program Website: Rural and Low-Income School Program and the Small, Rural School Achievement Program
• Program Overview: The purpose of these two grant programs are to provide poor, rural districts with financial assistance to address the unique needs of rural school districts that frequently lack the personnel and resources needed to compete effectively for Federal competitive grants and receive formula grant allocations in amounts too small to be effective in meeting their intended purposes.
• Program Purpose Specific to Broadband: Broadband infrastructure (e.g., construction), digital skills training, mobile hotspots and mobile hotspot data plans, minor remodeling, consistent with 34 CFR Part 77, to improve the academic achievement of students served by the program.
• Eligible Entities: K-12 schools and rural recipients who are under the local education agencies for the rural and low-income school program.
• Funding Amount/Cycle: $93 million for Fiscal Year 2021. Not available currently. For more information about funding, view the Small Rural School Achievement Program Applicant Information. 

Student Support and Academic Enrichment Program, Title IV, Part A

• Program Website: Student Support and Academic Enrichment Program, Title IV, Part A
• Program Overview: To help eligible Institutions of Higher Education to become self-sufficient and expand their capacity to serve low- income students by providing funds to improve and strengthen the academic quality, institutional management, and fiscal stability of eligible institutions.
• Program Purpose Specific to Broadband: Broadband infrastructure (e.g., construction), digital skills training, mobile hotspots and mobile hotspot data plans, minor remodeling, consistent with 34 CFR Part 77, to improve the academic achievement of students served by the program.
• Eligible Entities: K-12 schools and state/local governments.
• Funding Amount/Cycle: $1.8 million for Fiscal Year 2020. Not available currently. 

Strengthening Institutions, Title III, Part A

• Program Website: Strengthening Institutions, Title III, Part A
• Program Overview: To promote student achievement and preparation for global competitiveness by fostering educational excellence and ensuring equal access.
• Program Purpose Specific to Broadband: Broadband infrastructure (e.g., construction), broadband adoption, digital skills training, mobile hotspots and hotspot data plans.
• Eligible Entities: K-12 schools and higher education institutions.
• Funding Amount: $1.2 billion for Fiscal Year 2020. Not available currently. 

Strengthening Historically Black Colleges and Universities Program, Title III, Part B

• Program Website: Strengthening Historically Black Colleges and Universities Program, Title III, Part B
• Program Overview: This program provides financial assistance to Historically Black Colleges and Universities to establish or strengthen their physical plants, financial management, academic resources and endowment-building capacity.
• Program Purpose Specific to Broadband: Broadband infrastructure (e.g., construction), broadband adoption, digital skills training, mobile hotspots and hotspot data plans.
• Eligible Entities: Higher education institutions.
• Funding Amount/Cycle: Not available currently.

United States Department of Agriculture

Rural eConnectivity Program (the ReConnect Program)

• Program Website: Rural eConnectivity Program
• Program Overview: The ReConnect Program provides loans, grants, and loan/grant combinations to facilitate broadband deployment in rural areas. In facilitating the expansion of broadband services and infrastructure, the program will fuel long-term rural economic development and opportunities in rural America. 
• Eligible Entities: Nonprofit Entities, States, Local Governments or Agencies, Cooperative or Mutual Organizations, Limited Liability Companies or Limited Liability Partnerships, Indian Tribes, and For-profit Corporations.
• Funding Amount/Cycle: $350 million beginning on November 24, 2021; applications can be submitted through the on-line application portal until 11:59 a.m. Eastern on February 22, 2022. 

Distance Learning & Telemedicine Grants

• Program Website: Distance Learning & Telemedicine Grants
• Program Overview: The Distance Learning and Telemedicine program helps rural communities use the unique capabilities of telecommunications to connect to each other and to the world, overcoming the effects of remoteness and low population density.
• Program Purpose Specific to Broadband: Acquisition of broadband facilities; audio, video and interactive video equipment; terminal and data terminal equipment; computer hardware, network components and software; inside wiring and similar infrastructure that further DLT services; acquisition of instructional programming that is a capital asset; acquisition of technical assistance and instruction for using eligible equipment.
• Eligible Entities: State and Local Governments, Tribal Entities, Nonprofit Organizations, For-profit businesses, Consortia of eligible entities.
• Funding Amount/Cycle: Approximately $25M for minimum grant amount of $50,000 and the maximum grant amount of $1,000,000.

Rural Business Development Grants in Florida

• Program Website: Rural Business Development Grants in Florida
• Program Overview: This program is designed to provide technical assistance and training for small rural businesses. Small means that the business has fewer than 50 new workers and less than $1 million in gross revenue.
• Program Purpose Specific to Broadband: Technology-based economic development and acquisition or development of land, easements, or rights of way; construction, conversion, renovation of buildings; plants, machinery, equipment, access for streets and roads; parking areas and utilities.
• Eligible Entities: Higher Education Institutions, State and Local Governments, Tribal Entities, Rural Cooperatives (if organized as a private nonprofit corporation), and Nonprofit Organizations.
• Funding Amount/Cycle: There is no maximum grant amount; however, smaller requests are given higher priority. There is no cost sharing requirement. Contact the Area Office for more information.

Telecom Infrastructure Loan Program

• Program Website: Telecom Infrastructure Loan Program
• Program Overview: This program provides financing for the construction, maintenance, improvement, and expansion of telephone service and broadband in rural areas.
• Program Purpose Specific to Broadband: Broadband infrastructure (e.g., construction) and broadband financing.
• Eligible Entities: State and Local Governments, Tribal Entities, Commercial/Internet Service Providers, Non-profit Organizations, Small Businesses, Electric Utilities/Co-ops, and Financial Institutions.
• Funding Amount/Cycle: Cost-of-money loans: fixed rate at current U.S. Treasury rates depending on loan maturity at time of each advance. Loan Guarantees: fixed rate primarily from the Federal Financing Bank (FFB). Interest rates (Treasury rate plus 1/8%) vary depending on call options and the interim maturity rate selected at each advance, which may be as short as 90 days, with auto-rollover. Current rates available online, scroll down to “Treasury Constant Maturities” add 0.125% for FFB rate.  Hardship loans: fixed interest rate of 5% for up to 20 years and requires special qualifications. 

Community Facilities Direct Loan and Grant Program

• Program Website: Community Facilities Direct Loan and Grant Program
• Program Overview: This program provides affordable funding to develop essential community facilities in rural areas. An essential community facility is defined as a facility that provides an essential service to the local community for the orderly development of the community in a primarily rural area, and does not include private, commercial or business undertakings.
• Program Purpose Specific to Broadband: Public Computer Access.
• Eligible Entities: Public Entities, Tribal Entities, and Community-based Nonprofit Organizations.
• Funding Amount/Cycle: Low interest direct loans, grants, a combination of the two above, as well as our loan guarantee program. For more information, contact your local USDA Rural Development Office.  

Rural Economic Development Loan and Grant (REDLG) Program

• Program Website: Rural Economic Development Loan and Grant Program
• Program Overview: The Rural Economic Development Loan and Grant program provides funding for rural projects through local utility organizations. USDA provides zero-interest loans to local utilities which they, in turn, pass through to local businesses (ultimate recipients) for projects that will create and retain employment in rural areas. The ultimate recipients repay the lending utility directly. The utility is responsible for repayment to USDA.
• Program Purpose Specific to Broadband: Broadband Infrastructure (e.g., construction).
• Eligible Entities: Commercial/Internet Service Providers and Electric Utilities/Co-ops.
• Funding Amount/Cycle: Up to $300,000 in grants and $1 million in loans is available. The intermediary applies to USDA for funding support on behalf of specified local projects. Projects may commence after application submission, but there is no guarantee of approval. USDA funds are issued to the intermediary at project completion. 

Rural Business and Industry (B&I) Guaranteed Loan Program

• Program Website: Rural Business and Industry Guaranteed Loan Program
• Program Overview: The Business and Industry program bolsters the availability of private credit by guaranteeing loans for rural businesses. This program improves the economic health of rural communities by increasing access to business capital through loan guarantees that enable commercial lenders to provide affordable financing for businesses in eligible rural areas.
• Program Purpose Specific to Broadband: Broadband Financing.
• Eligible Entities: Higher Education Institutions, State and Local Governments, Commercial/Internet Service Providers, Electric Utilities/Co-ops and Financial Institutions.
• Funding Amount/Cycle: $20 million was provided under the CARES Act.

Rural Digital Opportunity Fund Auction Award Update

• The Rural Digital Opportunity Fund (RDOF) is a Federal Communications Commission program designed to close the digital divide in the United States by investing in the construction of rural broadband networks. Through an auction bidding process, more than $191 million over a 10-year period was awarded to 10 broadband providers in the state of Florida. View the Bidder Results Summary by State. You may also view the Awards by Levels of Service Associated with the Winning Bids Map. The service tier is based on download speed, upload speed, usage allowance, and latency.
• DEO proudly promotes the RDOF program and Florida broadband providers' participation in the program; however, the funding is not awarded through DEO. If you have additional questions about the program, please contact the Federal Communications Commission directly. 

United States Department of Commerce

Public Works and Economic Adjustment Assistance Programs including CARES Act Funding

• Program Website: Economic Development Administration - Public Works and Economic Adjustment Assistance Programs including CARES Act Funding
• Program Overview: Public Works and Economic Adjustment Assistance (EAA) programs provide economically distressed communities and regions with comprehensive and flexible resources to address a wide variety of economic needs. Projects funded by these programs will support work in Opportunity Zones and will create and retain jobs, increase private investment, advance innovation, enhance the manufacturing capacities of regions, provide workforce development opportunities, and grow ecosystems that attract foreign direct investment.
• Program Purpose Specific to Broadband: Planning (e.g., feasibility), broadband Infrastructure (e.g., construction), broadband adoption, digital skills training, smart cities and district organization of an EDA-designated Economic Development District
• Eligible Entities: County governments, private institutions of higher education, native American tribal governments (federally recognized), nonprofits that do not have a 501(c)(3) status with the IRS, other than institutions of higher education, public and state controlled institutions of higher education, state governments, nonprofits having a 501(c)(3) status with the IRS, other than institutions of higher education, special district governments, and city/township governments.
• Funding Amount/Cycle: Due to the extraordinary level of interest in EDA's CARES Act Recovery Assistance there has been an unusually high volume of applications received. Prospective applicants are strongly encouraged to contact their applicable EDA Regional Office representatives to discuss their needs and the availability of funds. Prospective applicants can find current contact information for EDA Regional Office staff at www.eda.gov/contact/. Awards range from $100,000 to $30 million. There are no submission deadlines for this opportunity. 

Promote Broadband Expansion Program - National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NITA)

• Program Website: NITA Grant Program: Broadband Infrastructure 
• Program Overview: The National Telecommunications and Information Administration will administer this $300 million grant program, directed to partnerships between a state or local government, and a service provider capable of providing fixed broadband service to areas that do not have broadband access, especially rural areas.
• Program Purpose Specific to Broadband: Fixed broadband with priority given to project proposals that: are designed to provide broadband  to the greatest number of households in an eligible service area, focus on rural areas, and designed to provide service of not less than 100/20 Mbps.
• Eligible Entities: State or local jurisdiction of a state and a service provider capable of providing fixed broadband service.
• Funding Amount/Cycle: No timeline or funding amount.  Please check NTIA’s website for updates on the application timeline as they become available. All grant funds must be expended within a year of being awarded.

United States Department of Treasury

Coronavirus Capital Projects Fund (CCPF)

• Program Website: Coronavirus Capital Projects Fund  
• Program Overview: Treasury is launching the Capital Projects Fund to allow recipients to invest in capital assets that meet communities’ critical needs in the short- and long-term, with a key emphasis on making funding available for broadband infrastructure.
• Program Purpose Specific to Broadband: Eligible uses of grant funding include Broadband Infrastructure Deployment Projects, Digital Connectivity Technology Projects, and Multi-Purpose Community Facility Projects.
• Eligible Entities: States, Territories & Freely Associated States. 
• Funding Amount/Cycle: $10 billion is available and the deadline to request funding is December 27, 2021. The deadline to submit Grant Plans is September 24, 2022.

The Internet and Television Association (NCTA) & EducationSuperHighway (ESH)

K-12 Bridge to Broadband Program

• Program Website: K-12 Bridge to Broadband Program
• Program Overview: The program has established a national framework of principles that enables cable broadband providers to work directly with school districts to 1) confidentially share information to quickly identify students without broadband at home and 2) enable the school districts to purchase internet service for low-income families through sponsored service agreements.
• Program Purpose Specific to Broadband: Cable broadband providers that have committed to this unique initiative offer broadband service to 80% of U.S. homes or 110 million housing units.
• Eligible Entities: K-12 schools. To search for sponsored service options to connect your students at home, visit EducationSuperHighway Bridge to Broadband.