Utah Broadband Center Opens Two New Grants

The Utah Broadband Heart (UBC), powered by the Governor’s Workplace of Financial Alternative, pronounces two new broadband planning grants can be found to assist native governments, municipalities, nonprofits, and authorities businesses develop plans to develop high-speed web entry and adoption in Utah communities.

These grants, funded by the federal Broadband Fairness, Entry, and Deployment (BEAD) Program and the Digital Fairness Act, empower native stakeholders to determine areas of the state that want elevated funding in infrastructure, expertise coaching, or entry to units to facilitate Utahns’ entry to crucial digital assets corresponding to telemedicine, distant work, or instructional alternatives.  

“Entry to dependable, high-speed web is crucial for our state’s financial improvement and our communities’ lifestyle,” stated Rebecca Dilg, Utah Broadband Heart director. “These funds will assist Utah communities determine gaps in infrastructure and different boundaries that make it troublesome to entry the entire assets which might be out there within the digital world.” 

The primary grant is the Native Broadband Planning Grant. This grant helps native communities determine gaps in broadband infrastructure and develop a plan to attach unserved households. Funds could also be used for analysis and information assortment, mapping efforts, and neighborhood outreach, amongst different actions. The native plan will develop into part of the state’s five-year Broadband Plan that may tackle infrastructure wants and different broadband entry boundaries.

The second grant is the Native Digital Entry Planning Grant. These funds assist recipients develop a five-year plan to deal with affordability, digital expertise, and entry to the required tools to make the most of on-line assets. There are numerous the reason why individuals can’t entry digital assets, even when broadband service is out there. The Native Digital Entry Planning Grant helps determine and strategize a plan to beat these boundaries.

Each grants are accepting purposes by way of Feb. 2, 2023. Recipients are anticipated to finish their five-year plans by June 1, 2023, for these plans to be included within the statewide digital connectivity motion plan. 

For extra details about these funding alternatives, please go to broadband.utah.gov. Further details about the Utah Broadband Heart’s statewide outreach efforts and learn how to become involved might be discovered at allonline.utah.gov or by calling 435-264-8880.