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Applying for Broadband Grants through RUSCreated by Anna Gould (EDUCAUSE) on March 12, 2009
Yesterday’s blog focused on the broadband grant process at the Department of Commerce’s NTIA program. Today we take a look at the Department of Agriculture’s Rural Utilities Service (RUS) program. It should be noted that both departments issued a joint request for information and notice of public meetings, which will allow the public to submit comments on the broadband initiative. At Tuesday’s conference, the USDA’s Assistant Administrator for Telecommunications Programs, Dave Villano, said 75% of the designated stimulus money must be used in rural areas to foster rural economic development. The RUS program may distribute up to $2.5 billion for grants, loans, and loan guarantees. And unlike its counterpart at the Department of Commerce, RUS already has two existing programs for appropriating funding for broadband. Because of the existing programs, they are expected to keep many of their process and eligibility rules in place. Similar to the NTIA, RUS will publish a Notice of Funding Available (NOFA) in the Federal Register. They are also expected to have three notices of funding, which should give interested parties more time to apply for grants over the next few months. In other words, no one is expecting that all of the money will be awarded in the first wave of acceptances. The first NOFA is expected around the April-June 2009 timeframe. More Information on RUS Broadband:
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