Public Notice and Comment Request for Broadband Equity, Access, and Deployment Five-Year Strategic Plan

ANNOUNCEMENTS | Aug 01, 2023

The CNMI Broadband Policy and Development Office (BPD) was established to develop and implement a broadband strategy that promotes advanced broadband network services, expands the digital economy, increases consumer options, promotes digital literacy, increases broadband equity, and supports access and affordability for residents across the islands of the Commonwealth.

BPD has been working with CNMI stakeholders with support from the National Telecommunications and Information Administration's Broadband Equity Access and Deployment (BEAD) planning program to draft a strategic 5-year plan that provides context for current and planned activities as well as identifies goals and objectives to guide prioritized actions.

As a strategic plan, this living document will continue to be revisited and revised to track progress towards priority action items and address opportunities and challenges as they arise. The draft document (revised as of July 31, 2023), available here, aims to augment community engagement efforts to capture high-level needs to inform next steps which will be detailed further through implementation focused action plans focusing on providing coverage for unserved and underserved communities, enhancing digital literacy, and expanding digital equity in the CNMI.

Input is welcome and encouraged at any time and may be submitted to Comments and suggestions regarding this plan will be accepted and incorporated on a rolling basis until the finalized plan is submitted to NTIA for review on August 28, 2023. Stakeholder engagement will continue to support implementation plan development and execution.