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Send to friendImmediately following the NTIA announcement that 1,400 of the 1,800 BTOP Round 1 applications had been rejected, Frank Lamancusa sat down with ZeroDivide Chief Community Investment Officer Laura Efurd and Chief Strategy Officer Tim Wu to discuss implications of Round 1 and the upcoming Round 2 application process.
Frank Lamancusa of Bingham McCutchen LLP in Washington, DC is an expert in the Broadband Technology Opportunities Program
Frank has been following the BTOP application process since the inception of the program, and Bingham has served as advisor to several BTOP applicants.
BTOP Update
NTIA Releases 1,306 "Not Funded" Letters to ARRA Broadband Applicants
The NTIA sent letters to 1,306 ARRA Recovery Act Broadband stimulus applicants.
639 letters went to applicants of the BIP/BTOP programs and 667 letters went to BTOP only applicants.
BIP/BTOP
According to the Round 1 NOFA, applicants in the BIP/BTOP program were to be reviewed by RUS/BIP first and, if not funded, passed along to NTIA/BTOP for review.
Officials at the NTIA and RUS have not indicated the BIP status of the BIP/BTOP applicants who received letters from the NTIA nor has the RUS publicly released information about projects declined under BIP.
These "Not Funded" projects account for $9.9 billion of the $12.8 billion requested for the program. Because this program is a commingling of funds from NTIA and RUS the amount available cannot be determined.
There are 179 BIP/BTOP applications still under review amounting to $7.3 billion.
BTOP Only
The 667 letters to BTOP only applicants amounted to $6.3 billion out of the $9.9 billion requested leaving $3.4 billion requested outstanding.
The NTIA was allocated $1.4 billion along with $200 million in reserve and there $173 million remaining from the Broadband Mapping grants allocation of $275 million. It is not known if the reserves and remainder will be rolled into other project types.
There are 277 BTOP Only applications still under review amounting to $3.4 billion. To date the NTIA has announced 15 awards under BTOP totaling $203 million in funds.
BIP Only
The RUS has not made public any "Not Funded" notices but they have announced 12 awards under BIP totaling $365 million. There are 391 BIP Only applications still under review amounting to $4.8 billion.
Information above was provided by:
Fred Dyste
ARRA Program Manager
Digital West Networks, Inc.
http://www.digitalwest.net/Articles/ARRAFirst18.aspx
Links for additional reading:
What Congress Needs To Do Now to Fix the Broadband Stimulus Program
The Broadband Stimulus Pipeline: NTIA Rejects $6.33 Billion in 667 ‘BTOP Only’ Broadband Stimulus Applications
BTOP Key Provisions in Second NOFA
U.S. Department of Commerce
National Telecommunications and Information Administration Broadband Technology Opportunities Program
Key Revisions in Second Notice of Funds Availability
The National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) is making a number of targeted changes to the Broadband Technology Opportunities Program (BTOP) in the second funding round. These changes are based on public feedback and on the agency’s experience administering the first round of funding. The primary goals of these changes are to increase efficiency, sharpen the BTOP’s funding focus, and improve the applicant experience. The following are key revisions in the NTIA’s Notice of Funds Availability (NOFA) for the second round of BTOP, though applicants should review the NOFA in its entirety.
Separate BTOP and BIP Applications for Increased Efficiency
In the first round, NTIA and the Rural Utilities Service (RUS) issued a joint NOFA for BTOP and RUS’s Broadband Initiatives Program (BIP), giving applicants the option to file applications with both programs jointly. For the second round of funding, RUS and NTIA are issuing separate NOFAs to better promote each agency’s distinct objectives. RUS and NTIA are, therefore, eliminating the option of filing joint BIP/BTOP applications, as the joint application process was burdensome for some applicants. Eliminating this option will also help NTIA review applications in a timely manner.
Focus on “Comprehensive Community” Infrastructure Projects for Maximum Investment Impact
With respect to infrastructure projects, NTIA’s top priority is to fund “comprehensive communities” projects, focusing on middle mile broadband projects and the connection of key community anchor institutions as a way of maximizing the benefits of BTOP funds. In adopting this approach, NTIA has restructured the Broadband Infrastructure category of the first NOFA into the Comprehensive Community Infrastructure category.
Unserved and Underserved Areas
NTIA is removing the requirement that infrastructure projects connecting community anchor institutions, including community colleges, must be located in unserved or underserved areas, though projects in unserved and underserved areas will receive additional consideration.
Improved Online Application Process
NTIA has made numerous adjustments to the online application system to streamline the intake of information and make the process more user-friendly. These include reducing the number of attachments to be uploaded with the application, eliminating the proposed funded service area mapping tool, and modifying the service area delineations from Census blocks to Census tracts and block groups.
Clarifying NOFA Provisions
NTIA is clarifying a number of NOFA provisions. For example, NTIA is revising BTOP’s eligibility factors and will use just three criteria – eligible entities, fully completed application, and matching – as the gating factors that determine whether an application is eligible for consideration. NTIA is also removing some factors from the eligibility requirements that are more effectively evaluated during the expert review and due diligence phases of application consideration. Additionally, NTIA is clarifying the process for requesting waivers from several key statutory and programmatic obligations.