In a news release yesterday, RUS and NTIA confirmed that there will only be one more round of funding and issued the Request for Information (RFI).  Comments are due 14 days after publication in the Federal Register, by 5:00 p.m. (EST).

JSI calls attention to a number of notable aspects of the RFI, the most significant of which may be RUS’s concern that many parties, including members of Congress, felt the definition of remote area was “overly restrictive.”  Consequently, RUS seeks comments on the definition of remote area, as well as whether other factors, such as income levels, geographic barriers, and population densities should be considered.  In addition, JSI highlights other issues cited by the agencies in the RFI:

• Applicants’ concerns that the process in the first round was “overly burdensome.”  Tentatively concluding that the application process should be streamlined, the agencies seek comment on how that can be accomplished.
• Applications in the first round consisting of proposed funded service areas that were at least 75 percent rural could be considered by NTIA only if an applicant sought both RUS and NTIA funds and RUS rejected the application.  The agencies seek comment on whether rules for the second round should allow such applications to be submitted directly to NTIA.
• Comments on whether changes should be made to the definitions of “unserved,” “underserved,” and “broadband.”  The agencies noted that, while they are “not inclined to make significant changes” to the interconnection and non-discrimination requirements, they would consider suggestions for making “minor adjustments” to these requirements.
• Concerns noted by some applicants that the requirement that prohibits the sale or lease of award-funded broadband facilities unless the sale or lease meets certain conditions is a barrier to participation in the programs.  The agencies ask whether this requirement should be revised.

After the opportunity for additional review, JSI will post more thorough analysis of the RFI and offer recommendations on MyJSI in the next week or so for companies that would like to file comments.  If you would like a copy of the analysis and recommendations, contact Kim Waldvogel (kwaldvogel@jsitel.com) in JSI’s Maryland office, at 301-459-7590.  If you have questions about this information or the application process, or would like to discuss JSI's assistance in filing comments related to the RFI, contact John Kuykendall (jkuykendall@jsitel.com) or Valerie Wimer (vwimer@jsitel.com), also in JSI's Maryland office.