NTIA delays broadband stimulus grant awards again
The NTIA is delaying again the announcement of broadband stimulus grant winners. The agency hopes to announce the rest of the winning grant applications by the end of February 2010. Two months ago we reported that the NTIA would be making these announcements by December 2009. The NTIA received 1770 applications for $4.7 billion in total available grant monies. Some of the winning applicants have already been announced but many more are waiting.
What does this mean for the second round of funding? The NTIA and RUS have issued an RFI seeking recommendations for the rules to govern the second round. Will those be delayed too? If so, won’t the NTIA run up against the 10 September 2010 deadine for disbursing the stimulus funds? The problem seems to be a lack of personnel to review the applications. The NTIA has since hired more people.
CORRECTION (5 Jan 2010): NTIA has informed me that this is not a NEW delay but an old delay, that is, they are still on the same old schedule announced by Assistant Secretary Strickling back in October: namely, to start awarding first round grants in December and to finish the first round announcements by the end of February.
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MuniWireless 2010 Media Kit
The MuniWireless 2010 Media Kit is now available. Find out how you can effectively promote your products and services on MuniWireless.com (using our email newsletter, webinars, and events as well). Email me for the 2010 Media Kit.
*Attention vendors and consultants! Make sure you’re included in our online Vendor Directory and in the directory of version 2.0 of the Muniwireless guide on how to get a grant from the NTIA and RUS (send an email to me). Version 2.0 of the guide will contain the revised NTIA and RUS rules for the second round of broadband stimulus funding.
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