At a White House announcement on June 3rd, Vice President Kamala Harris was joined by Secretary of Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo and Secretary of the Interior, Secretary Deb Haaland in the Southern Auditorium to speak about Investing in High Speed Internet in rural and tribal Communities. 

The leaders issued joint calls for significant broadband investments in the American Jobs Plan to make affordable high-speed internet available to all Americans.

Vice President Kamala Harris announced that the U.S. Department of Commerce will invest nearly $1 billion in their National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) grants to expand broadband access and adoption on Tribal lands.

Secretary Raimondo said, "These investments will help many Native American, Alaskan Native and Native Hawaiian communities gain long overdue access to life-saving technologies, economic opportunities, remote learning and countless other benefits."

Whilst Secretary Haaland who spoke virtually said, "For generations, a lack of infrastructure investment in Indian Country has left Tribes further behind in the digital divide than most areas of the country. We have a responsibility as a country to build infrastructure that will fuel economic development, keep communities safe, and ensure everyone has opportunities to succeed."

The grants will be made available via the Tribal Broadband Connectivity Program, which was established by the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2021. All Federally recognised, Eligible Native American, Alaskan Native, and Native Hawaiian tribes will be able to apply and use the grants for broadband deployment, as well as for digital inclusion, workforce development, telehealth, and distance learning.