NTIA, RUS want your feedback on next round of funding
The NTIA and RUS are seeking public comment about the next round of funding. There will be only one more round, not two, and the agencies want to know how they can streamline the process. This is after all the “stimulus” funding and it’s meant to stimulate the economy. Given that we are already in year 2 of the economic crisis and neither agency has given out any money, one wonders whether by the time they stimulate anything, we will be well into the next bubble. But given the dire state (and continued decline) of the state of US broadband, many communities need funding for broadband deployments, whether or not there is an economic crisis.
The NTIA and RUS have received more applications than they have money for and they’re struggling to review all of them. For the next round, they want to make the grant application procedures more friendly to applicants (and obviously for their own reviewers). They want to hear your suggestions on how to get there.
Here is an excerpt from the NTIA/RUS press release:
“Stakeholders will have the opportunity to provide us with well-informed feedback on how the first round worked for applicants, the agencies will be able to make improvements to the process, and potential applicants will gain more time to form partnerships and create stronger project proposals. Ultimately, this approach can help us run the programs with increased efficiency and produce better results for the American public,” Strickling said.
In a Request for Information (RFI) released today, the agencies are seeking feedback on procedural and policy aspects of BIP and BTOP. While inviting general input on the programs, the agencies identified specific areas for comment.
In terms of procedural matters, for example, the RFI seeks input on ways to streamline the application process while still ensuring that the agencies obtain the information necessary to make awards in accordance with statutory requirements. The RFI also asks whether the agencies can better balance the public’s interest in transparency and openness with stakeholders’ legitimate interest in maintaining the confidentiality of proprietary data.
Among policy matters raised, the RFI seeks comment on how to best target the remaining funds to achieve the goals of the Recovery Act. Commenters proposing a more targeted approach are asked to quantify the impact of their proposal based on metrics such as the number of end users or community anchor institutions connecting to service, the number of new jobs created, and the projected increase in broadband adoption rates. The RFI asks whether to focus second round funding on projects that create “comprehensive communities” by installing high capacity middle mile facilities between anchor institutions that bring essential health, medical, and educational services to citizens. The RFI also invites input on various other issues, including whether the definition of “remote area,” which is used to determine grant eligibility under BIP, is too restrictive, how the agencies can best ensure that investments are cost effective, and ways the programs might impact regional economic development and stability.
RUS and NTIA will utilize the feedback received in response to the RFI to set the rules for the second funding round, which the agencies expect to announce through a Notice of Funds Availability early next year.
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