The Broadband Development Office (BDO) announced it is pausing all grants and contracts associated with the state’s allocation of the federal State Digital Equity Capacity Grant Program (SDECGP).
Texas was allocated $55.6 million from the SDECGP, the distribution of which is now in question due to the ongoing federal realignment and new administration priorities. There is no timeline for resuming a program funded with SDECGP allocations, according to an email from the BDO.
The disruption in funding allocations does not affect any other ongoing BDO programs, such as the Broadband Equity, Access and Deployment (BEAD) program and the Bringing Online Opportunities to Texas program.
The BDO recommends potential applicants hold off on investing significant time and resources in preparing applications. The office is seeking additional clarity of the future of the program from the National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA).
As the office works with the NTIA to determine the future of the program, it will communicate any updated guidance made available.
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