NTIA recently announced that a second round of BTOP applications will be accepted through March 15, 2010. NTIA‟s NOFA allocates approximately $2.6 billion in this funding round of which approximately $2.35 billion will be made available for infrastructure projects. In this round, NTIA is adopting a “comprehensive communities” approach as its top priority in awarding infrastructure grants, focusing on middle mile broadband projects that connect key community anchor institutions – such as libraries, hospitals, community colleges, universities, and public safety institutions. Comprehensive Community Infrastructure projects maximize the benefits of BTOP by leveraging resources, promoting sustainable community growth, and ultimately laying the foundation for reasonably priced broadband service to consumers and businesses.
In addition, NTIA plans to award at least $150 million of the funding for Public Computer Center projects, which will expand access to broadband service and enhance broadband capacity at public libraries, community colleges, and other institutions that service the general public. NTIA also plans to award at least $100 million for Sustainable Broadband Adoption projects, which include projects to provide broadband education, training, and equipment, particularly to vulnerable population groups where broadband technology has traditionally been underutilized.
The rules for applying to this funding round have been modified to make the application process more user-friendly and better target program resources.NTIA and the Department of Agriculture’s Rural Utilities Service (RUS), which is administering a companion broadband expansion grant and loan program, will hold a series of public workshops to review the new application process and answer questions from prospective applicants.
The workshops will be held starting on January 26th through February 12th in Portland, Ore.; Reno, Nev.; Denver, Colo.; San Antonio, Tex.; Eureka, Mo.; Sioux Falls, S.D.; Detroit, Mich.; Blacksburg, Va.; Fayetteville, N.C.; and Atlanta, Ga. Interested parties can register for the workshops and find more information on rules for the second round of funding at http://www.broadbandusa.gov. NTIA and RUS have also provided a new online tool, BroadbandMatch (at http://match.broadbandusa.gov) to facilitate partnerships among prospective applicants to the agencies’ broadband grant and loan programs.
The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act provided a total of $7.2 billion to NTIA and RUS to fund projects that will expand access to and adoption of broadband services. Of that funding, NTIA will utilize $4.7 billion for grants to deploy broadband infrastructure in unserved and underserved areas in the United States, expand public computer center capacity, and encourage sustainable adoption of broadband service. RUS will use $2.5 billion in budget authority to support grants and loans to facilitate broadband deployment in primarily rural communities. NTIA plans to announce all grant awards by September 30, 2010.U.S. Department of Commerce's NTIA serves as the executive branch agency principally responsible for advising the President on communications and information policy. For further information about NTIA’s BTOP grants, please visit http://www.ntia.doc.gov/broadbandgrants/.
I will be attending one of the trainings and will post specific information after my attendance. If you have any questions please contact me at amy.freeman@interact911.com
