Submitting OIG:
Report Description:
A primary goal of the National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) is to expand U.S. broadband Internet access and adoption. To help meet this goal, NTIA administers six broadband programs, including the Tribal Broadband Connectivity Program (TBCP). Our objective for this audit was to determine whether NTIA properly disbursed the federal funds provided for the TBCP. We reviewed awards made under NTIA’s first round of TBCP funding. Between September 1, 2021, and December 31, 2022, NTIA awarded about $1.73 billion. Overall, we found that NTIA did not adequately design and implement the award process to ensure that TBCP funds were awarded only for eligible proposed service areas. For the awards we reviewed, we determined that NTIA did not (1) independently verify that grant recipients needed funding for broadband infrastructure deployment and (2) consistently document its process for reviewing TBCP applications. As a result of these issues, the TBCP’s fraud risk is higher, and NTIA could not provide assurance that TBCP awards were made to tribes that did not have access to broadband and actually needed the funds.
Short / Alternative Report Title:
NTIA’s Award Processes Leave Tribal Broadband Grants Vulnerable to Fraud and Duplication
Date Issued:
Monday, April 8, 2024
Agency Reviewed / Investigated:
Submitting OIG-Specific Report Number:
OIG-24-019-A
Component, if applicable:
National Telecommunications and Information Administration
Location(s):
Agency-Wide
Type of Report:
Audit
Questioned Costs:
$0
Funds for Better Use:
$0
Number of Recommendations:
4
Report updated under NDAA 5274:
No
View Document:
Attachment | Size |
---|---|
OIG-24-019-SECURED.pdf | 5.07 MB |
Additional Details Link: