SAIPAN — The Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands has received federal approval for its $81 million broadband plan, clearing the way for universal, typhoon-resilient fiber internet to every home and business.
The CNMI Broadband Policy and Development (BPD) Office, under the Office of the Governor, confirmed that the National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) has approved the Commonwealth’s Broadband Equity, Access, and Deployment (BEAD) Final Proposal. The decision unlocks federal funds for immediate deployment of a hardened, end-to-end network across the islands.
Total investment in broadband network deployment through the BEAD subgrant partnership exceeds $53 million, including $31,365,227.18 in federal BEAD funds and $21,931,951.14 in committed private matching funds from the selected subgrantee. BPD said the approval was delivered by Federal Program Officer Ethan Lake.
Once the BEAD deployment is completed, CNMI officials say the Commonwealth will be one of the few—if not the only—places in America with universal, climate-hardened, end-to-end broadband to every home and business. CNMI is among the first group of states and territories to secure NTIA approval of their Final Proposal, alongside American Samoa and Guam. NTIA’s national announcement also cited approximately $6 billion in cost savings from “Benefit of the Bargain” reforms, with at least $21 billion in total savings expected as remaining proposals are submitted.
The CNMI’s objective is universal broadband availability by 2030. Currently, 100 percent of Broadband Serviceable Locations in the Commonwealth are classified as unserved or underserved. The newly approved plan moves the CNMI from planning into full-scale execution.
“We’re moving from planning to aggressive execution with clear milestones and strict accountability,” said Edwin Propst, BPD Program Manager. “We will deliver high-capacity, resilient underground broadband across all islands to close the digital divide.”
The Final Proposal adopts an underground-first approach to improve resilience against typhoons and power instability by hardening infrastructure below ground. Through a Benefit of the Bargain Subgrant Selection Round, IT&E was selected to deploy underground fiber across all Project Funding Areas, a plan estimated to save more than $50 million compared to early projections while meeting performance and resilience targets. The subgrantee is required to complete deployment and begin serving customers within four years of the subgrant award. While NTIA’s national reforms allow for a range of technologies, the CNMI plan concentrates on underground resilient builds tailored to the islands’ reliability, capacity, and disaster-recovery needs.
Of the CNMI’s total $81 million BEAD allocation, funds not required for network deployment remain unallocated pending federal guidance. The Commonwealth is seeking to retain these remaining funds for non-deployment uses that support broadband access and adoption, including cybersecurity, digital education, digital workforce development, data center development, AI advancements, and related priorities.
The CNMI Governor and the CNMI Delegate, along with other state and territory leaders, are in active discussions with NTIA and the White House on the retention and use of these funds. The CNMI will provide public updates as federal decisions are finalized.
With Final Proposal approval in place, the BPD office will move to finalize subgrant agreements with the provisionally selected awardee, initiate environmental and historic preservation reviews before issuing Notices to Proceed with Construction, and oversee deployment through verified milestones, performance testing, and compliance checks to ensure on-time delivery and accountability.
According to the BPD, the new broadband networks are expected to improve healthcare through telehealth and remote diagnostics; strengthen public safety via hardened communications and emergency response; expand education through distance learning and research connectivity; and support job creation in remote work, small business growth, and digital skills development. Officials say the investment will lay a foundation for competitive market choice, improved affordability, and long-term economic growth, while robust monitoring will help ensure compliance and leverage the public–private partnership to close the digital divide across the Commonwealth.
