Applying for Broadband Grants Through the NTIA

The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act’s Broadband Initiative allows two entities to distribute broadband funding: the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Rural Utilities Service (RUS) program and the U.S. Department of Commerce’s National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA).  This post will look at the basics for applying for NTIA grants. 

Funding through this program is aimed at improving broadband access in underserved and unserved areas with a special concentration on "community anchor institutions," including schools, public safety organizations, and health care centers. Yesterday, the NTIA posted a notice in the Federal Register asking for feedback on the Broadband Technology Opportunities Program. After collecting comments for 30 days, NTIA will issue a Notice of Funding Available, or NOFA.  This notice will contain final application rules, which are required before any grant funding may be distributed.  It is expected that the agency will issue three NOFAs in order to provide enough time for states and others to complete their applications.  NTIA is working on a very short deadline, since they are required to disperse all funding by September 30, 2010. 

The NTIA’s “Broadband Technology Opportunities Program” (BTOP) is charged with distributing $4.7 billion, including $350 million for broadband mapping.  Eligible applicants include any state, local, territorial or tribal government, as well as non-profit organizations.  It is also possible that ISPs, infrastructure providers, and other for-profit ventures may be eligible if they can prove it is in the “public interest,” a term yet to be defined.  Yesterday, Bernadette McGuire-Rivera, the Associate Administrator of the NTIA, said many are concerned about the definitions of “unserved” and “underserved” areas.  Her agency will be collecting public comments in order to address this, as well as a myriad of other questions and concerns. 

More information:

v     The first of three notices will likely be released in the April-June timeframe. It is expected that the second window would be in the fall and the last would be in spring of 2010. 

v     Each state must receive some funding.

v     Applicants are encouraged to be concise with both their public comments and applications.

v     NTIA plans to award funding through BTOP’s four major areas: broadband mapping, general broadband, community computing and innovative applications.

v     Applicants must demonstrate how their project would efficiently use grant money for fulfilling the program’s goals. They must also show that they would be able to complete the project, and provide at least 20 percent of its costs.  Finally, applicants must demonstrate that a given project would be impossible if they did not receive a BTOP grant before September 2010. 

v     Applicants can apply to both the NTIA’s BTOP program, as well as the USDA’s RUS program. There are restrictions, however.

v     The rule-making process will be critical, since questions remain about eligibility and grant distribution priorities.  No applications will be accepted by the NTIA until grant criteria is established and rules are adopted.  That said, McGuire-Rivera recommends that people begin working on their applications now. 

***********Tomorrow: Applying for Broadband Grants Through the RUS.****************************