Libraries, schools, municipalities (as defined by Oregon statute), workforce training organizations, nonprofit organizations, community health centers, and other community anchor institutions are eligible for grants of up to $250,000 under the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) Capital Projects Fund (CPF) Digital Connectivity Technology Program, the Oregon Broadband Office announced this week.
The program, funded through the U.S. Department of the Treasury, makes $6.8 million available to expand access to broadband-enabled devices and public Wi-Fi infrastructure across Oregon. Grants of $25,000 to $250,000 are available.
The funds can be used to buy internet-enabled computing devices and public Wi-Fi equipment.
Grant timeline details and informational/technical assistance webinars will be posted on the Oregon Broadband Office’s Digital Connectivity Technology Program webpage.
Last spring, the Oregon Broadband Office announced more than $24 million in broadband grants, part of the state’s Broadband Deployment Program (BDP), which is also part of the ARPA Capital Projects Fund. That round of Oregon funding was intended to connect 2,360 locations to 100 Mbps symmetrical broadband in three Oregon counties.
Funds for digital opportunity are a hot topic. The Vernonburg Group suggests that there is a “growing chorus” of participants in the Broadband Equity, Access, and Deployment (BEAD) Program that would like the National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) to make creative use of the program’s remaining non-deployment funds.
It’s a lot of money — estimates put the total at about $21 billion — that the 56 eligible entities (the 50 states, the District of Columbia, and five territories) could put to a great number of uses.
Additional information about broadband in Oregon, including links to state funding resources and grants, BEAD news, awards made, state-specific Telecompetitor coverage, and more can be found on the Broadband Nation webpage for the state.
