Community Broadband Current News
Reports & Filings
NTIA and RUS Seek Public Comment on Implementation of BIP and BTOP Programs
A Joint Request for Information from the National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) at the Department of Commerce and the Rural Utilities Service (RUS) at the Department of Agriculture was issued earlier this week regarding the implementation of the Broadband Initiatives Program (BIP) and the Broadband Technology Opportunities Program (BTOP) on its 2nd round of Notice of Funds Availability. The notice says that "the agencies seek to gather information that will help them improve the broadband programs by enhancing the applicant experience and making targeted revisions to the first NOFA." Questions included in the notice center around two main areas -- the application and review process, and the policy issues originally addressed in the first NOFA. COMMENTS ARE DUE BY NOVEMBER 30.
Also, APPA has learned that NTIA and RUS have officially decided to only hold two rounds of applications for funding, not the three they originally intended. This had been rumored for some time and is now official.
APPA Files Comments to FCC on Public Notice for Comment Request on the Contribution of Government to Broadband
On November 6, APPA filed comments to the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) regarding its Public Notice on "Comment Request on the Contribution of Federal, State, Tribal, and Local Government to Broadband." This notice was born out of a request by Congress included in the passage of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) that the FCC develop a National Broadband Plan by February of 2010.
FCC Seeks Comments on the Contribution of Federal, State, Tribal and Local Government to Broadband due Nov 6.
On September 25th the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) released a notice as part of its continued efforts to develop the National Broadband Plan (NBP), the FCC released its seventh Public Notice on the NBP seeking comments on the contribution of Federal, State, Tribal and Local governments to broadband. Specifically they “seek tailored comments about how governments at all levels promote broadband deployment and adoption, and how digital technologies and broadband deployment can improve civic engagement, government at all levels, and the lives and welfare of residents and businesses.” APPA will file comments that will highlight the successes and benefits some of our members have had with their communities and the barriers others have faced in participating. However, we also encourage our individual members to also file comments. Many portions of the public notice deal with the individual aspects of communities, government organizations and needs of systems that cannot be addressed from a trade association perspective.
Comments are due to the FCC on November 6th. APPA will provide those comments to the group once they are finalized.
APPA Issue Brief on Advanced Communications Services
APPA Files Comments to NTIA and RUS Regarding Implementation of ARRA (04/17/2009)
APPA filed comments to the National Telecommunications Information Administration (NTIA) at the Department of Commerce and Rural Utilities Service (RUS) at the Department of Agriculture. The comments were in response to a “Joint Request for Information on Implementation of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) of 2009.”
House Subcommittee on Communications, Technology and the Internet Holds Hearing on Broadband Stimulus (04/03/2009)
The House Subcommittee on Communications, Technology, and the Internet held a hearing on “Oversight of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009: Broadband.” The stimulus package included $7 billion in provisions providing incentives for the expansion of advanced telecommunications infrastructure.
Members attending the hearing included: Subcommittee Chairman Rick Boucher (D-VA); Ranking Member Cliff Stearns (R-FL); Representatives Ed Markey (D-MA); Lee Terry (R-NE); Anna Eshoo (D-CA); Greg Walden (R-OR); John Dingell (D-MI); Marsha Blackburn (R-TN); Zack Space (D-OH); Doris Matsui (D-CA); G.K. Butterfield (D-NC); Anthony Weiner (D-NY); Bobby Rush (D-IL); Bart Stupak (D-MI); John Shimkus (R-IL); and Donna Christensen (D-VI).
Witnesses for this hearing included: David Villano, Assistant Administrator, Telecommunications Program, Rural Development, Department of Agriculture; Mark Seifert, Senior Policy Advisor, National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA), Department of Commerce; Scott Deutchman, Acting Senior Legal Advisor, Federal Communications Commission; The Honorable Rachelle Chong, Commissioner, California Public Utilities Commission; Nicol Turner-Lee, Senior Vice President, External Affairs, One Economy Corporation; Brian R. Mefford, Chairman and CEO, Connected Nation; and Jonathan Large, Dan River District Supervisor, Ararat, Virginia.
DOE Issues Notice of Intent for Data Center and Telecom Technology Energy Efficiency Funding Opportunity (03/06/2009)
The Department of Energy's Idustrial Technologies Program (ITP) has released a Notice of Intent for an upcoming cost-shared solicitation that seeks to increase the energy efficiency of server-based telecommunications and data center facilities. ITP plans to release the solicitation in March 2009. quire a team capable of and experienced in:
This solicitation will soon be available on Grants.gov and applicants are strongly encouraged to register at these web sites to receive notification of announcements.
Telecommunications Portions of the Stimulus Proposals (01/30/2009)
The House of Representatives passed its version of the Economic Recovery Package. Included within the legislation was $6 billion in provisions providing incentives for the expansion of advanced telecommunications infrastructure and asks the Federal Communication Commission to outline and bench mark a strategy for better broadband access. The specifics are:
Agriculture, Nutrition and Rural Development section
-$2.85 billion for the RUS Rural Broadband Infrastructure Development program.
Commerce, Justice and Science section
-Authorizes a broadband inventory map which depicts geographic extent of service capability and to be published on the web;
-Authorizes a broadband grant program to be administered by National Telecommunications and Information Administration and that a report be submitted to Congress on planned spending and actual obligations of which half needs to be distributed by the end of fiscal year 2009;
- $350 million for State Broadband Data and Development Grants for NTIA to administer through 2011. NTIA will provide these competitive grants for eligible entities to develop and implement statewide initiatives to identify and track the adoption and availability of broadband services;
-$2.825 billion to NTIA for wireless and broadband development for unserved and underserved areas. It will be broken down as $1 billion for Wireless Deployment Grants for the deployment of wireless voice service or advanced wireless broadband, and $1.825 billion for Broadband Deployment Grants for the deployment of basic broadband service or advanced broadband service. Language also provides that the grants be distributed in the allocation of 25% to eligible entities in unserved areas and 75% to eligible entities in underserved areas to the extent possible;
-$650 million in additional funding for the digital-to-analog converter box coupon program.
APPA membership is eligible for these grants as defined in the eligible entity as “a State or local unit of government, or instrumentality thereof, that is or intends to be a provider of any such [broadband] service."
The language outlined for the above proposals are on pages 49-51 and then 622-634 of the overall passed bill.
In the recently released Senate version of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, the Senate Appropriations Committee has recommended $9 billion for the Broadband Technology Opportunities Program of which the majority of funding would be made available to accelerate broadband deployment. Fifty percent of that funding is to be made available to rural areas however, unlike the House bill, all of the funding is contained at the Department of Commerce under NTIA and can be transferred to the RUS if necessary. As currently drafted, the definition and conditions imposed for grantees tend to be more beneficial for municipal providers.
Interview with Mayor Lewis Billings(Public Power magazine, October 2008)
Ashland Named Smart21 Community (Public Power magazine, October 2008)
The Municipal and Utility Guidebook to Bringing Broadband Fiber Optics to Your Community (9/10/2008)
APPA is pleased to make available this insightful compilation of municipal broadband case studies that highlight the challenges and opportunities confronting municipal broadband projects. This resource, written by David Chaffee and Mitchell Shapiro, is available by download only.
APPA, the Kentucky Municipal Utilities Association et al. File Joint Comments to the Federal Communications Commission on Part IV (B) of the Further Notice of Proposed Rulemaking Regarding Broadband Data Gathering, WC Docket No. 07-38 (7/17/2008)
FCC Report and Order Regarding Carriage of Digital Television Broadcast Signals (09/05/2008)
The Federal Communications Commission released its Fourth Report and Order on Carriage of Digital Television Broadcast Signals: Amendment to Part 76 of the Commission’s Rules. This order addresses some of the obligations and exemptions for small cable providers as they progress in the digital television (DTV) transition. Jim Baller, APPA’s outside legal consultant on many telecom matters pointed out that many of APPA's members who provide cable services would be interested in one such exemption, which states: "We hold that cable systems that either have 2,500 or fewer subscribers and are not affiliated with a large cable operator, or have an activated channel capacity of 552 MHz or less, are exempt from the requirement to carry high definition versions of broadcast signals for three years following the digital television ("DTV") Transition."
Hearing Notice of a Discussion Draft on Wireless Consumer Protection and Community Broadband Empowerment (02/22/2008)
The House Energy and Commerce Committee, Subcommittee on Telecommunications and the Internet scheduled a hearing on a discussion draft on Wireless Consumer Protection and Community Broadband Empowerment, for Wednesday, February 27 at 10:00am. As this is a discussion draft no bill number has been assigned at this point. The Community Broadband Empowerment section is Title II of the bill and is virtually identical language to the Community Broadband Act language. APPA has confirmed Joey Durel, Parish President of Lafayette, LA, as a witness on behalf of APPA and will only be speaking on the Community Broadband language.
S. 1853, the Community Broadband Act of 2007 Passed out of Senate Commerce Committee (10/31/2007)
The Senate Commerce, Science, and Transportation Committee marked up S. 1853 and passed it out by voice vote. S. 1853 is sponsored by Senators Frank Lautenberg (D-NJ) and Gordon Smith (R-OR) along with original cosponsors: Chairman of the Commerce, Science, and Transportation Committee Daniel Inouye (D-HI), Ranking Member of the Committee Ted Stevens (R-AK), Sens. John McCain (R-AZ), John Kerry (D-MA), Olympia Snowe (R-ME), and Claire McCaskill (D-MO). This legislation would prohibit states from precluding municipal governments from offering telecommunications services.
Written Statement of the American Public Power Association To the House Energy and Commerce Committee, Subcommittee on Telecommunications and the Internet Digital Future of the United States: Part VI: The Future of Telecommunications Competition (10/02/2007)
Introduction of S. 1853 "the Community Broadband Act of 2007" in the Senate (08/01/2007)
Senator Frank Lautenberg (D-NJ) introduced S. 1853 "the Community Broadband Act of 2007" (S. 1294 in the 109th Congress) in the Senate along with the original sponsors of Sens. Gordon Smith (R-OR), Chairman of Commerce, Science and Transportation Committee Daniel Inouye (D-HI), Ranking Member Ted Stevens (R-AK), John Kerry (D-MA), John McCain (R-AZ), Claire McCaskill (D-MO), and Olympia Snowe (R-ME). This legislation would prohibit states from precluding municipal governments from offering competitive alternatives to incumbent providers. To address some issues raised in the last Congress, the new bill encourages public-private partnerships and includes a notice requirement to ensure that the public and potential commercial providers have the opportunity to comment before a municipal government goes forward with a project to provide advanced telecommunications services. The bill also makes clear that the antidiscrimination safeguards and notice requirements do not apply to a local government when it is providing service to itself or when operating under a state of emergency. A House companion to this legislation will soon follow.
Technology Improvements for Broadband's 'Third Wire' (Public Power magazine, May-June 2007)
Broadband Boosts Economic Growth in Bristol (Public Power magazine, March-April 2007)
Community Broadband in Auburn (Public Power magazine, Jan.-Feb. 2007)
Louisiana High Court Clears Path for Lafayette Telecom (Public Power Daily, 02/26/2007)
