Fletcher Heald & Hildreth, LLC, has formed a Broadband Stimulus Group to assist prospective applicants seeking to participate in the Broadband Initiatives Program (BIP) and/or the Broadband Technology Opportunities Program (BTOP). Those programs are being implemented by the National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) and the Rural Utilities Service (RUS) as part of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (dubbed the Stimulus Package by many). As outlined in a Notice of Funds Availability (NOFA) released in early July, $4 billion in funding is being distributed in the current round of funding. The application window for grants or loans in that round opens July 14 and closes August 14.
The FHH Broadband Stimulus Group is comprised of 11 FHH attorneys familiar with the NOFA process and the broadband technology issues which must be addressed in that process. They kept a close eye on the Congressional deliberations that led up to the enactment of the Stimulus Package, and they have tracked the progress of the NTIA and RUS activities in this area since the Stimulus Package was signed into law. They are familiar with the particular areas likely to spell the difference between success and failure in the application process, and they stand ready to provide advice and assistance to applicants who want to take advantage of the opportunities which the BIP and BTOP offer. FHH Broadband Stimulus Group members also have extensive familiarity with Federal Acquisition Regulations (FAR), the system of rules and policies which underlies government funding activities.
Established in 1936 – one year after the Federal Communications Commission commenced operation – Fletcher Heald & Hildreth has served the telecommunications industries with valuable insight, guidance and counsel for more than 70 years. The members of the FHH Broadband Stimulus Group have a combined total of more than 200 years of practice experience in the highly specialized field of communications law and regulation. With extensive connections throughout relevant governmental offices, Group members will have access to the most up-to-date information necessary to formulate plans and strategies for the most effective navigation of the BIP/BTOP process.
Members of the FHH Broadband Stimulus Group include: Donald Evans; Joseph Di Scipio; Tom J. Dougherty; Paul Feldman; Jeffrey Gee; Scott Johnson; Mitchell Lazarus; Francisco Montero; Lee Petro; Raymond Quianzon; and Kathleen Victory.
