Asmongold Reacts: Insane Government Red Tape & Broadband Grants!

The Bureaucratic Labyrinth of Broadband Deployment: A Step-by-Step Breakdown

The process for states to access federal funds for broadband deployment is fraught with bureaucratic hurdles. This article outlines the steps involved, highlighting the complexity and potential for delays.

Initial Steps and Planning Grants

1. Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO): The National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) must issue a NOFO within 180 days.
2. Letter of Intent: States wanting to participate are required to submit a letter of intent. All 56 applicants completed this step.
3. Planning Grant Request: Following the letter of intent, states can request up to $5 million in planning grants.
4. NTIA Review and Award: The NTIA reviews, approves, and awards the planning grants.

Action Plans and Data Maps

• Five-Year Action Plan: States must submit a five-year action plan outlining their broadband deployment strategies. This involves significant planning and consideration.

• FCC Broadband Data Maps: The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) must publish broadband data maps before the NTIA allocates funds. These maps are intended to show areas in need of rural broadband subsidies.

• Map Challenges: States are given the opportunity to challenge the accuracy of the FCC's broadband data maps.

Allocation and Initial Proposals

• NTIA Allocation Decisions: The NTIA must use the FCC maps (after challenges) to make allocation decisions.

• Initial Proposal Submission: After submitting their five-year plans and letters of intent, states must submit an initial proposal. This step raises questions about the relationship between the five-year plan and the initial proposal.

Review, Challenges, and Further Proposals

• NTIA Review of Initial Proposals: The NTIA reviews and approves each state's initial proposal.

• State-Level Mapping and Challenges: States must publish their own maps and allow for internal challenges to those maps. This opens the door for various interest groups to voice their concerns.

• NTIA Review of State Map Challenges: The NTIA then reviews and approves the results of the challenges to the state-level maps, leading to a final map. By this point, nine of the original applicants are no longer involved.

Subgranting and Final Steps

• Competitive Subgranting Process: States must run a competitive subgranting process. By this stage, 17 more applicants have dropped out, leaving only 30 of the initial 56 still participating.

• Final Proposal Submission: States must submit a final proposal. Only three of the original 56 states reach this point.

• NTIA Review of Final Proposals: The NTIA reviews and approves the states' final proposals.

Conclusion

The process is complex and time-consuming. The original transcript summarizes that only three of the initial 56 jurisdictions are nearing the finish line. Disrupting their progress at this point would be detrimental to broadband deployment efforts. This intricate process raises concerns about efficiency and the potential for bureaucratic delays.