U.S. Commerce Secretary Gary Locke announced on March 25, 2011, that his agency will award $63 million in grants to increase broadband access in Tribal and rural areas. The grants include:
- $13.8 million to the Navajo Tribe to bring high-speed broadband service to 15,000 square miles in Arizona, New Mexico, and Utah.
- $2.4 million to build a broadband infrastructure to connect 42 emergency response agencies, healthcare facilities, libraries, and government offices for the Nez Perce Tribe in Idaho.