While the BEAD Program continues to garner most of the attention when it comes to federal funding for broadband infrastructure deployment programs, in this blog we have consistently underscored that (1) there are other sources of funding available and (2)
The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Rural Utilities Service has released a Notice of Funding Opportunity for the Rural eConnectivity Program, also known as the ReConnect Program, for fiscal year 2024. The ReConnect Program provides loans, grants, and combinations thereof to
The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Rural Utilities Service has revised its eligible service area definition for the Community Connect Grant Program for FY 2023. The previously released Notice of Funding Opportunity suggested that eligible service areas would be defined as
Representative David Scott (D-GA-13) has introduced the Broadband Internet Connections for Rural America Act (H.R. 4374), which would consolidate much of the Rural Utilities Service’s ReConnect Program and the farm bill authorized Rural Broadband Program to create the ReConnect Rural
The Covid-19 crisis is highlighting the importance of broadband connectivity for all Americans. High capacity broadband service enables essential connectivity supporting telemedicine, distance education, telework, e-commerce, and essential social interactivity. During this pandemic, it is more important than ever that
Capitol Hill
House Democrats are reportedly putting the finishing touches on a broadband-only infrastructure spending bill that could allocate as much as $80 billion to broadband deployment and digital equity. A formal announcement is expected in February.
On April 8, the Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Rural Utilities Service (RUS) published a Notice of Solicitation of Applications (NOSA) in the Federal Register for the Rural Broadband Access Loan and Loan Guarantee Program (the Broadband Program) for Fiscal year
Legislative Activity
Senate Appropriations Committee Passes Bill That Would Decrease FCC’s Budget
On Thursday, July 23, the Senate Committee on Appropriations (Senate Appropriations Committee) approved the Fiscal Year 2016 (FY16) Financial Services and General Government Appropriations Bill (Appropriations Bill). The
Introduction
On October 5, 2011, Open Range Communications (“Open Range”), filed chapter 11 petitions for bankruptcy in the United States Bankruptcy Court for the District of Delaware. According to the Declaration of Open Range’s CFO (the “Declaration” or “Decl.”),
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.