USDA- RUS Broadband Initiatives Program Fact Sheet 0. AMERICANRECOVERY ANDREINVESTMENTACT OF2. RURALUTILITIESSERVICEBROADBANDINITIATIVESPROGRAMOn February 1. President Obama signed into law the American Recovery and Reinvestment Actof 2. Recovery Act). The legislation provides funding to the Department of Agriculture and. Department of Commerce to expand broadband access to rural and unserved areas of the country. Thisdocument explains how Rural Development’s Rural Utilities Service (RUS) is implementing the broadbandprovisions of the Recovery Act. Funding The Recovery Act authorized USDA budget authority of $2. America. USDA expectsto use approximately $2 billion to provide grants, while the remaining funds will finance loans, for potentialtotal investment in rural broadband of around $3- $4 billion, which may vary depending on the demand forgrants versus loans. USDA will award all funds no later than September 3. The Broadband Initiatives Program (BIP) The Recovery Act establishes the rapid disbursement of the funds as an important priority for the BIPprogram to create jobs and stimulate the economy. The program also must be administered judiciously toensure responsible use of public funds. To balance these objectives, RUS will favor projects that cancommence construction promptly and demonstrate technical and financial feasibility, organizationalcapacity, and the furtherance of other Administration priorities. A commitment to transparency in theaward process and rigorous reporting requirements will help ensure accountability. BIP Priorities The Recovery Act requires that 7. BIP- funded area be rural and lack “sufficient access tohigh speed broadband service to facilitate rural economic development.” The Recovery Act alsomandates that priority for projects which: (1) give end users a choice of providers; (2) serve the highestproportion of rural residents that lack access to broadband service; (3) are projects of current or former. RUS borrowers (Title II borrowers); and, (4) are fully funded and ready to start once funding is received. BIP application scoring criteria target projects that meet these priorities. First Round of Funding On July 9, 2. RUS and NTIA published a first joint Notice of Funds Availability (NOFA) seekingapplications. Broadband Loan and Grant Program Recovery Goals Through the implementation of the ARRA, the Broadband Initiatives Program (BIP) will achieve the following goals. Broadband Initiatives Program (BIP) Pt A Wd khPost Award Workshop BIP Environmental Compliance Requirements 1 Dennis Rankin, Environmental Protection Specialist Engineering and Environmental Staff. Summaries of each grant award are provided below, and visitors are also encouraged to visit the state broadband program and data websites. A list of these websites can be found here. State Recipient Total Award Alabama Alabama Department of Economic and. Over $2 billion in program level funding was set aside for funding opportunities from RUSunder the first NOFA, for last mile and middle mile projects. RUS and NTIA hosted a series of tenworkshops in July, 2. Numerous other outreach activities were conducted. STATE BROADBAND INITIATIVE PROGRAM West Virginia Broadband Mapping Program Technical Assistance Grant Program. Data and Development (SBDD) Grants Program. The initial award enabled the WVGES to create a statewide map is the West. Contribute to efforts of the Departments of Commerce and Agriculture to award $7.2 billion in grants, loans. Recent FCC Broadband Initiatives Guide (pdf) Date Last Updated/Reviewed: Wednesday, November 4, 2015 Bureau/Office: Consumer and Tags. The application window for the first roundof funding closed on August 2. More than 2,2. 00 applications were received for the RUS and NTIAprograms, requesting $2. On December 1. 7, 2. Vice President Joseph Bidenannounced the first BIP awards for broadband projects. USDA is announcing more awards under the first. NOFA on a rolling basis. Second Round of Funding NTIA and RUS published a joint Request for Information on November 1. Federal Register, seeking comments on the requirements, definitions and application process for the second NOFA. Afterreview of the comments, and with consideration of the two agencies’ experiences under the first NOFA,changes to the programs were incorporated into the second NTIA and RUS NOFAs, which wereannounced on January 1. Together, the two. NOFAs make $4. 8billion in grants and loans available to expand broadband access and adoption in.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. Archives
January 2017
Categories |