Alaska Broadband Office The Alaska Broadband Office (ABO) was created on August 9, 2022, when Governor Dunleavy signed Alaska House Bill 363 into law. The State of Alaska had been engaged in broadband work for several years, most recently highlighted through efforts of the Governor’s Task Force on Broadband in their Final Report issued in November of 2021. Formal broadband efforts were then transferred to the Commissioner’s Office in the Department of Commerce, Community and Economic Development. The Alaska Broadband Office oversees the State of Alaska's efforts to ensure all Alaskans have high quality, affordable internet. This will be done through two federal programs: the Digital Equity Act (DE) and the Broadband Equity Access and Deployment (BEAD) Program. These programs, established under the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA) passed by Congress in November 2021, allocate funds to expand broadband access for underserved and unserved communities in Alaska. Alaska Broadband Grant Program UPDATE 5/16/25: Estimated Alaska Broadband Grant Program Calendar: Mid-July: Updated Broadband Equity Access and Deployment (BEAD) guidance from National Telecommunications and information Administration (NTIA). NTIA guidance + 10 days: July 17 - July 29 (estimated): ABO revises and publishes an updated grant program. July 30 –August 28 (estimated): 30-day public comment period. August 29 – October 10 (estimated): ABO revises and publishes an updated grant program. October 13 – December 11 (estimated): 60-day grant application period. December 12 – April 12, 2026 (estimated): ABO application review and proposed subgrantee selection. April 13 through approval of subgrantee selection (estimated to be 90 to 120 days): NTIA/National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) approval. Prospective applicants are encouraged to continue working on: Criterion 3 – Financial Capability Criterion 5 – Technical Capability Recordings from the listening sessions on March 26, 2025 and March 27, 2025 Application specific guidance is available here. To view the NOFO, appendices, and related resources click here. To request paper copies of the Notice of Funding Opportunity, Application, and Appendices and for general questions please email the Grant Administrator at jan.cox@alaska.gov or call 907-269-5797. Request for Proposals AK BROADBAND GRANT RECIPIENT NEPA REVIEWER - Alaska Online Public Notices PROFESSIONAL ENGINEER REVIEW FOR THE ALASKA BROADBAND GRANT PROJECT - Alaska Online Public Notices Alaska Digital Empowerment Capacity Grant Program On Friday, May 9, 2025, the Alaska Broadband Office (ABO) received official notification from NTIA of the immediate termination of the State Digital Equity Capacity Grant Program. Effective immediately, the Alaska Digital Empowerment Capacity Grant Program is cancelled. The ABO recognizes the significant amount of time and resources used to prepare the applications, and thanks applicants for participation and interest in the program.