The master of suspense Alfred Hitchcock knew that suspense is generated when the audience can see danger that the characters on screen are not aware of. He said, "There's no terror in the bang of the gun, only the anticipation of it."
There has been much anticipation over the last few months on when the "gun" that is the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 would be "fired" or passed by congress and signed by the President, and what funding would be included. Included in the Act is $7.2 Billion dollars for Broadband investment referred to as the "Broadband Technology Opportunities Program" or "BTOPs". These funds will be distributed through the National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) within the Department of Commerce and the Rural Utilities Service (RUS) within the United States Department of Agriculture.
There are still many unknowns regarding who is eligible for these funds. For example the key terms "unserved" and "underserved" must be defined in order to establish eligibility, and although it appears that local governments, schools, etc. are the main focus of these funds, states and big incumbents could end up having a large role and say in how these funds are used. Some of what of the knowns are that these grants will require a match of some sort (in most cases), and O & M costs for out years will need to be budgeted and funded.
So where to from here? Based upon some presentations I have participated in and reading on this matter, the following are all recommended:
Ensure that all proposed projects meet the criteria outlined in the BTOPS. The broadband bill can be read here
Be proactive in partnering with state and private entities if necessary.
Enlist the support of all levels of elected officials.
Be proactive in helping NTIA and RUS define the terms of the program. On March 2nd the NTIA started meeting with interested parties and on March 10th there will be a public joint meeting with the NTIA, RUS, and FCC on the broadband initiative of the stimulus. This meeting will be web cast live - go here for more details.
Although the gun has been fired there is still the suspense of another yet to be fired.
There has been much anticipation over the last few months on when the "gun" that is the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 would be "fired" or passed by congress and signed by the President, and what funding would be included. Included in the Act is $7.2 Billion dollars for Broadband investment referred to as the "Broadband Technology Opportunities Program" or "BTOPs". These funds will be distributed through the National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) within the Department of Commerce and the Rural Utilities Service (RUS) within the United States Department of Agriculture.
There are still many unknowns regarding who is eligible for these funds. For example the key terms "unserved" and "underserved" must be defined in order to establish eligibility, and although it appears that local governments, schools, etc. are the main focus of these funds, states and big incumbents could end up having a large role and say in how these funds are used. Some of what of the knowns are that these grants will require a match of some sort (in most cases), and O & M costs for out years will need to be budgeted and funded.
So where to from here? Based upon some presentations I have participated in and reading on this matter, the following are all recommended:
Ensure that all proposed projects meet the criteria outlined in the BTOPS. The broadband bill can be read here
Be proactive in partnering with state and private entities if necessary.
Enlist the support of all levels of elected officials.
Be proactive in helping NTIA and RUS define the terms of the program. On March 2nd the NTIA started meeting with interested parties and on March 10th there will be a public joint meeting with the NTIA, RUS, and FCC on the broadband initiative of the stimulus. This meeting will be web cast live - go here for more details.
Although the gun has been fired there is still the suspense of another yet to be fired.
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