The Texas Broadband Development Office (BDO) announced today that it has paused grants and contracts related to the federal State Digital Equity Capacity Grant Program.
The announcement cited the “ongoing realignment to meet the priorities of the new administration” as the reason for the move.
The notice said, in part:
“Given this uncertainty, the BDO wants potential applicants to avoid investing significant time and resources into preparing applications until the office receives more clarity on the future of the program from the National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA).
“We understand the importance of these opportunities and the resources needed to pursue them. For that reason, we want to ensure all efforts adhere to and are consistent with program guidelines before funds are made available.”
The Texas Digital Equity Capacity Grant Program statement says that BDO will continue to engage with NTIA and update guidance as necessary.
Telecompetitor reached out to BDO and asked about the potential impact on the Broadband Equity, Access, and Deployment (BEAD) Program in the state. The spokesperson said that the funding pause “will not affect the BEAD Program in any way.”
In November, the NTIA approved Texas’ Digital Equity Capacity Grant application along with those from New Hampshire, Oregon, South Carolina, South Dakota, Vermont, and Wyoming.
Whether that grant program — and other federal grant programs — would go forward was the subject of contention at the end of January. The White House Office of Management and Budget (OMB) issued a memorandum that would have put a pause on all federal grant funds.
That memorandum was rescinded by OMB Director Matthew Vaeth after Judge Loren AliKhan of the United States District Court in Washington, D.C. blocked the original memorandum.
Meanwhile, the NTIA is still awaiting leadership. In early February, Arielle Roth was nominated to lead the NTIA, which is part of the U.S. Department of Commerce. The nomination, which was made public through statements and posts from several organizations, has not yet been voted upon.
