NTIA
The BroadbandCensus.com List of NTIA Comments Filed April 13
WASHINGTON, April 14, 2009 – The Obama Administration’s broadband grants program attracted extraordinary attention on Monday, as at least 427 companies, individuals and organizations filed comments with the Commerce Department’s National Telecommunications and Information Administration.
Editor’s Note (4/19) – The complete BroadbandCensus.com List of NTIA Comments is now available at http://broadbandcensus.com/2009/04/the-broadbandcensuscom-list-of-ntia-comments
The BroadbandCensus.com List of NTIA Comments aims to include all substantive comments filed between March 10 and April 15 on the NTIA web site. For a growing number of comments, BroadbandCensus.com has provided a brief summary of the contents of the comment.
Editor’s Note (4/16) – This BroadbandCensus.com List of NTIA Comments Filed April 13 has been updated to include substantive comments on the broadband stimulus filed at the NTIA on April 13, the final day for submission – included those filed on the NTIA web site after 8:11 p.m.
BroadbandCensus.com aims to create a new page with substantive comments filed at any time during the course of the rule-making, including those filed before April 13.
WASHINGTON, April 14, 2009 – The Obama Administration’s broadband grants program attracted extraordinary attention on Monday, as at least 427 companies, individuals and organizations filed comments with the Commerce Department’s National Telecommunications and Information Administration.
The mad rush to finish line was driven the agency’s April 13 deadline for comments about the way that NTIA, and the Agriculture Department’s Rural Utilities Service, should administer $7.2 billion in broadband-related grants and loans.
With the latest comment posted on the web site as of 8:11 p.m. on Monday, the 427 comments represents almost one-third of the approximately 1,400 questions and comments that have been received by the agency and posted online, beginning March 10, 2009. http://www.ntia.doc.gov/broadbandgrants/comments.cfm
As part of BroadbandCensus.com’s ongoing coverage of the broadband stimulus, reporters and correspondents for BroadbandCensus.com have systematically reviewed comments filed with the NTIA.
This collection represents a first cut of the organizations and individuals offering substantive comments about the implementation of the program. Individual form letters have been excluded, as have letters or comments that bear resemblance to many, previous comments.
Many of the filings by organizations and companies are listed under the name of the individual filing them, and are therefore hard to pick out of the NTIA’s web site.
Both the uniqueness of the concerns, and the significance of the entity filing, are the primary factors in BroadbandCensus.com’s selection of these comments from among the list of those that have filed. The filings are listed in alphabetical order.
Ed. Note (4/16) – Individuals with questions about this list should e-mail Cody Williams, williams@broadbandcensus.com.
The BroadbandCensus.com List of Comments
71 Concerned Economists, Using Procurement Auctions to Allocate Broadband Stimulus Grants, organized by Paul Milgrom, Stanford University; Gregory Rosston, Stanford Institute for Economic Policy Research; Andrzej Skrzypacz, Stanford; and Scott Wallsten, Technology Policy Institute Comment
Access Delray Comment
Access Delray, providing an update to their original filing. Comment
Advanced Emergency Communications Coalition | Comment
Alabama | Comment
Alaska Comment
Alcatel Lucent Comment
Allied Fiber | Comment
American Farm Bureau Comment
American Fiber Systems Comment
American Legislative Exchange Council Comment
American Library Association Comment
American Public Power Association Comment
American Tower | Comment
ApexCoVantage, which focuses on broadband mapping Comment
Apple, Inc. | Comment
Arizona, second comment Comment
Arizona Comment
Association of Public Safety Officials Comment
Association of Public TV Stations Comment
AT&T Comment
AT&T, second comment Comment
Atkins Telephone, a rural local exchange carrier in Iowa Comment
ATSI, a provider of voice-over-internet-protocol service Comment
Barling Bay, LLC and Caption Colorado | Comment
Benton Foundation/ University of Illinois | Comment
Big Think Strategies/Open Networks, with a correspondence address in Australia. Comment
Boston, Massachusetts Comment
Bresnan Communications, Cequel Comm, Suddenlink, MediaCom, MidContinent, a group of mid-sized cable operators | Comment
Broadband Development Corporation | Comment
Broadband Diversity Supporters | Comment
Broadpoint, a supplier to offshore oil and gas rigs Comment
California | Comment
Center for Technology and Democracy Comment
Cheetah Wireless, a small wireless service provider Comment
Chicago, Illinois Comment
Cisco Comment
Community Connect network | Comment
Connected Nation Comment
Conxx | Comment
Corpus Christi, Texas Comment
CostQuest, a providing of broadband mapping Comment
Coverage Co., a wireless roaming carrier Comment
Cox Communications Comment
Cricket Communications Comment
CTIA- The wireless Association | Comment
Delta Regional Authority | Comment
Discovery Communications | Comment
District of Columbia Government Comment
DSSA Associates, by Don Samuelson Comment
EarthLink Comment
East Central Vermont Community Fiber | Comment
EchoStar | Comment
Educause Comment
Embarq Comment
Enhanced Telecommunications Corp. Comment
Fairpoint, which provides telecommunications service in the Verizon network in Maine and New Hampshire Comment
Farmers Mutual Telephone Co. Comment
Fiber To The Home Council Comment
Fiber Tower, middle mile focus | Comment
Florida Comment
Free Press | Comment
Frontier Communications Comment
Gardonville Cooperative Telephone Association Comment
Garrett County, Maryland Comment
General Communication, an Alaskan local exchange carrier Comment
Georgia Comment
Great Plains | Comment
Harris Corporation Comment
Hispanic Information and Telecommunications Network | Comment
Home Town Cable, a small fiber-to-the-premises provider Comment
IEEE, a technical standards body Comment
ILSR Comment
Independent Telephone and Telecommunications Alliance | Comment
Infinera |Comment
Intel Comment
Iowa Health System | Comment
Iowa Health Systems Comment
Iowa Utility Board Comment
Jaguar Communications | Comment
Kentucky Municipal Utilities Association Comment
Kodiak Kenai Cable Company, LLC | Comment
Lariat, a wireless internet service provider focusing on the “middle mile” issue | Comment
LEMKO Corp., next gen wireless | Comment
Loudon, Virginia | Comment
Maine Public Utility Commission Comment
Massachusetts Department of Telecommunications and Cable, Vermont Department of Public Service, and the Massachusetts Broadband Institute | Comment
Media and Democracy Coalition, the point person for a coalition of non-profit organizations Comment
Michael Swack, of the University of New Hampshire Comment
Michigan Public Service Commission Comment
Michigan Comment
Minneapolis, Minnesota Comment
Montana Independent Telecommunications Systems | Comment
Montana Telecommunications Association Comment
Motorola Comment
MSS and ATC Coalition | Comment
NASUCA, the National Association of State Utility Consumer Advocats Comment
National Cable and Telecommunications Association Comment
National Emergency Number Association Comment
National Exchange Carrier Association, second filing Comment
National Exchange Carrier Association Comment
National Rural Electric Cooperative Comment
National Rural Telecommunications Cooperative | Comment
National Rural Telecommunications Cooperative, DigitalBridge Communications Corp. | Comment
National Telecommunications Cooperative Association Comment
National Tribal Telecommunications Association Comment
Native Federation, an organization of Native Americans Comment
Nebraska Rural Independent Companies Comment
New York, New York Comment
Next G Networks, a wireless company Comment
North Dakota Comment
Northern Valley Communications Comment
NWT Enterprises, which urges wireless backed by fiber | Comment
Oakland County, Michigan Comment
Ohio Comment
One Economy Corp. (Updated) | Comment
One Economy Corp., a non-profit group Comment
OPASTCO, the Organization for the Promotion and Advancement of Small Telecommunications Cooperative (second filing) Comment
OPASTCO, the Organization for the Promotion and Advancement of Small Telecommunications Cooperatives Comment
Open Range Communications Comment
Palo Alto, California Comment
Pend Oreille County Public Utility District Number 1, Washington | Comment
Pennsylvania Comment
Pennsylvania Governor’s Office | Comment
Public Safety Spectrum Trust Corporation. This comment focuses on the 700 MegaHertz swatch of wireless frequencies, and its use by public officials. Comment
Puerto Rico Telephone Co. Comment
Qualcomm Comment
Ridgeview Tel | Comment
Rural Carriers Comment
Rural Cellular Association | Comment
Rural Cellular Association | Comment
Rural Fiber Alliance Comment
Rural Independent Competitive Alliance | Comment
Rural Telecom Group Comment
Rural Telephone Service, Co. Comment
San Francisco, California | Comment
SDF Consortium, a wireless network contractor | Comment
Seattle, Washington Comment
Shafter, Calif. | Comment
SkyTerra, which urges 20 percent to satellite services | Comment
Small Business Administration Comment
Smith Bagley Comment
Southern Linc Wireless Comment
Spot On Comment
Stayton Cooperative Telephone Company | Comment
Sunesys, LLC | Comment
Tele Pulse Technology Comment
TelePacific, which focuses on underserved areas. Comment
Texas Statewide Telephone Coop Comment
T-Mobile USA, Inc. | Comment
Trace Center, University of Wisconsin Comment
TracFone Comment
Triangle J Cable Broadband Consortium, a group of North Carolina government providers of cable broadband service Comment
Tyco Telecom Comment
U.S. Chamber of Commerce | Comment
Universal Service for America Coalition | Comment
University of Texas law students, a comprehensive filing. Comment
US Cellular Comment
US Telecom Association, the trade association of incumbent telecommunications carriers. Comment
Utopian Wireless | Comment
Van Horne Cooperative Telephone Company Comment
Verizon Communications Comment
ViaSat | Comment
Virginia Comment
Vonage, a provider of voice-over-internet-protocol service Comment
Washington Comment
Western Iowa Networks Comment
WGBH in Boston, a public television station, with a comment focusing on people with disabilities. Comment
WiMax Forum Comment
XO Communications Comment
Zero Divide, a comprehensive filing by a non-profit organization. Comment
Funding
After FCC Map Release Date, NTIA Says Infrastructure Money to Be Allocated by June 2023
The NTIA urged eligible entities to submit challenges to the FCC’s broadband map by January 13, 2023.
WASHINGTON, November 10, 2022 – The National Telecommunications and Information Administration said Thursday its intention to announce allocations from the $42.5-billion Broadband Equity, Access, and Deployment program by June 30, 2023.
The announcement comes on the heels of the FCC announcing Thursday that a preliminary draft of the commission’s national broadband map will be released and available for public challenge on November 18, which was required for the NTIA to begin moving the broadband infrastructure money out of the door to the states. The challenge process is the primary mechanism to correct for errors in the map’s data.
Don’t miss the discussion about “What’s the State of IIJA?” at Digital Infrastructure Investment–Washington on November 17, 2022: Nearly one year into the passage of the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, what is its state of implementation? How are state broadband offices feeling about the pace of the National Telecommunications and Information Administration? What are they doing to prepare for it? How big of a jolt to the broadband industry will the IIJA be?
“The next eight weeks are critical for our federal efforts to connect the unconnected,” said NTIA Administrator Alan Davidson. “The FCC’s upcoming challenge process is one of the best chances to ensure that we have accurate maps guiding us as we allocate major…awards in 2023. I urge every state and community that believes it can offer improvements to be part of this process so that we can deliver on the promise of affordable, reliable high-speed internet service for everyone in America.”
To ensure public input is considered in the allocation process, the NTIA urged eligible entities Thursday to submit challenges to the FCC’s national broadband map – the dataset that will shape the distribution of BEAD grants – by January 13, 2023.
To promote a robust challenge process, the NTIA said it will offer technical assistance to state governments, informational webinars to the public, and regular engagement with state officials to identify and resolve issues.
Clarification: A previous headline said the NTIA would “finalize” money by June 2023. In actuality, the NTIA will initially announce BEAD “allocations” by June 2023, then eligible entities must submit proposals to the NTIA for approval before the money is fully disbursed, which could be sometime after June 2023.
NTIA
Speaking at AnchorNets, NTIA’s Alan Davidson Touts Role of Anchor Institutions
‘Community-anchor institutions have been and are the connective tissue that make delivering high-speed internet access possible,’ he said.
CRYSTAL CITY, Va., October 14, 2022 – States will be required to work with local communities on broadband programs as unprecedented funding initiatives roll out from the federal government, said Alan Davidson, head of the National Telecommunications and Information Administration.
“It’s critical that the states are being guided by as many local voices as possible,” said Davidson, addressing the AnchorNets 2022 conference Friday morning. The NTIA, an arm of the U.S. Commerce Department, will ensure state broadband plans are informed by community input, he added.
Davidson also emphasized the role local institutions can play in boosting connectivity and the importance of federal adoption and affordability initiatives, such as the Federal Communications Commission’s Affordable Connectivity Project.
“Community-anchor institutions have been and are the connective tissue that make delivering high-speed internet access possible,” Davidson said.
The NTIA’s broadband policies are “about more than just a connection, more than just access,” Davidson argued. “A wire to somebody’s home… doesn’t help them if they can’t afford to get online.”
The NTIA will administer the rollout of tens of billions of dollars in broadband funding, the majority of which – $42.45 billion – is from the Broadband Equity, Access, and Deployment program. BEAD funding will be granted to each state government based on relative need, and the states will distribute sub-grants to contractors.
John Windhausen, executive director of the SHLB Coalition – the host of AnchorNets 2022 – praised Davidson’s remarks.
“Alan Davidson’s comments really recognized that the anchor institutions can play a role in several different aspects of solving the digital divide,” Windhausen told Broadband Breakfast.
Funding
State Broadband Offices Need to Increase Their Capacity, Improve Data, and Communicate Well
NTIA’s Evan Feinman spoke about what states need to keep in mind as they prepare for BEAD funds.
WASHINGTON, May 18, 2022 – The National Telecommunications and Information Administration webinar event on Tuesday focused on the Broadband Equity, Access, and Deployment Notice of Funding Opportunity. The webinar highlighted three important items to keep in mind as states begin to receive money for broadband planning.
The first, according to Evan Feinman, deputy associate administrator for BEAD, was for states to consider your office’s capacity. Each state will receive a minimum of $100 million. Very few states have the human resources required to adequately run a program of this magnitude, he said.
The second is to build up research and data collections of broadband coverage at a state level. The Federal Communications Commission will soon release a new mapping system. It will be necessary, said Feinman, to “engage meaningfully” with these maps using state’s own research and data. Furthermore, states should have the necessary data to engage with internet service providers and the NTIA as they determine who is served and unserved.
Third, states should develop a clear-cut plan for outreach and communication support with stakeholders. Stakeholders include telecom providers, tribal governments, local governments, and community organizations.
The planning step is a great point for stakeholders to become involved in the process, said Feinman. “There is an expectation that lives throughout this program that folks are going to engage really thoroughly and in an outgoing way with their stakeholders.”
See other articles on the NTIA webinars issues in the wake of the Notices of Funding Opportunity on the Broadband.Money community:
Many States Receive Broadband Planning Grants, Complaints About Charter, Blockchain for Healthcare
Tech Groups, Free Expression Advocates Support Twitter in Landmark Content Moderation Case
Municipal and Co-Op ISPs Raise ‘Anti-Competitive Concerns,’ Says Duke Professor
As States Take Action Against TikTok, Major Privacy Legislation Seems Unlikely
House Bill to Make Broadband Grants Non-Taxable Introduced
NTIA Launching $1.5B Innovation Fund to Explore Alternative Wireless Equipment
Maryland Bans TikTok on State Network, New Head of Open Technology Institute, UScellular Expands 5G
Pierre Trudeau: Life in the Trenches, or Lessons Learned Deploying Broadband in MDUs
Cable Providers Back Hybrid Fiber-Coax Networks in Face of Pure Fiber
Sen. John Thune Launches Broadband Oversight Effort
Keynote Address and Q&A at Digital Infrastructure Investment
FCC Releases National Broadband Map Amid Controversy
Federal Communications Commission Mandates Broadband ‘Nutrition’ Labels
FCC Told No to C-Band Changes, New Tribal Entity Grants, Surfshark Report on Internet Value
Twitter Takeover by Elon Musk Forces Conflict Over Free Speech on Social Networks
Bjorn Capens: Strong Appetite for Rural Broadband Calls for Next Generation Fiber Technology
Broadband Breakfast on December 7, 2022 – What to Expect from Congress on Social Media and Privacy Regulation
Trump’s Twitter Account Reinstated as Truth Social Gets Merger Extension
Amazon Asks FCC to Allow Drones in 60-64 GHz Band in Preparation For New Delivery Service
Industry and Other Internet-Focused Observers React to Release of National Broadband Map
As States Take Action Against TikTok, Major Privacy Legislation Seems Unlikely
Broadband Breakfast on November 30, 2022 – The 12 Days of Broadband
Small ISPs Face Economic, Incumbent Bundling Headwinds: CoBank Economist
Venture Capital, Private Equity and Institutional Investors on Digital Infrastructure Investment
Financing Mechanisms for Community Broadband, Panel 3 at Digital Infrastructure Investment
Right Track or Wrong Track on Mapping? Panel 2 at Digital Infrastructure Investment
What’s the State of the IIJA? Panel 1 at Digital Infrastructure Investment
Broadband Breakfast on December 28, 2022 – New Year Recap: Biggest Stories in Broadband
Broadband Breakfast on December 21, 2022, – Robotics, Telehealth and Future Health
Broadband Breakfast on December 14, 2022 – In the Trenches: Better Broadband for Multi-Dwelling Units
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