Capitol Hill Negotiations on a second large COVID-19 relief legislation effectively broke down August 7. While the President responded with several stop-gap executive actions, both parties seem to recognize relief legislation is urgently needed and there is speculation that some kind of deal will be cut by mid-September. In the meantime, with the Senate technically … Continue Reading
Capitol Hill As the year’s legislative calendar winds down, a large new infrastructure spending program with dedicated funding for broadband appears dead. Attention is on smaller pieces of bi-partisan legislation addressing unwanted robocalls, narrowly targeted funding for “digital dead zones,” and mapping. Targeted infrastructure funding is partly addressed by a Senate appropriations bill that devotes … Continue Reading
Capitol Hill House Democrats’ “Leading Infrastructure for Tomorrow’s America Act” (LIFT America Act) –containing $40 billion dedicated for broadband, largely through reverse auctions – remains pending. While prospects for significant federal spending on a new broadband program remain in limbo, Congress has allocated further funding to the United States Department of Agriculture (“USDA”) ReConnect funding … Continue Reading
Broadband on Capitol Hill House Democrats have unveiled their $2 trillion dollar infrastructure package called the “Leading Infrastructure for Tomorrow’s America Act” (LIFT America Act). A House hearing was held May 22 with testimony from, among others, former FCC Commissioner Clyburn. The legislation includes $45 billion in broadband funding: $30 billion in reverse auction funds to … Continue Reading
Hot on the heels of its 2009-2010 multi-billion dollar broadband stimulus spending spree, the Rural Utilities Service has opened the coffers again. This time, up to $700 million dollars in low-interest loans for rural broadband is available.… Continue Reading
NTIA and RUS have announced extensions of the deadlines for some, but not all, submissions in response to the Second Notice of Funds Availability (NOFA) made possible by the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009.… Continue Reading
The final run of the Broadband Stimulus Special will be pulling out of the NTIA/RUS station on March 15, 2010. The second (and last) NOFA has been released, detailing how you can apply for a ticket on the gravy train. All aboard!!!… Continue Reading
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 … Continue Reading
