[Federal Register Volume 80, Number 87 (Wednesday, May 6, 2015)]
[Notices]
[Pages 26007-26008]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2015-10580]


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DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

Rural Utilities Service

DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

National Telecommunications and Information Administration


Broadband Opportunity Council Webinar

AGENCY: Rural Utilities Service, U.S. Department of Agriculture, and 
National Telecommunications and Information Administration, U.S. 
Department of Commerce.

ACTION: Notice of public webinar.

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SUMMARY: In a request for comment (RFC) published in the Federal 
Register on April 29, 2015, the Departments of Agriculture and 
Commerce, which are co-chairing the Broadband Opportunity Council 
(Council), asked for public input on barriers that are hampering 
deployment of broadband, ways to promote public and private investment 
in broadband, challenges facing areas that lack access to broadband, 
and ways to measure broadband availability, adoption, and speed.\1\ To 
explain the RFC's purpose and objectives, and to allow an opportunity 
for members of the public to pose questions regarding the RFC, the 
Rural Utilities Service (RUS) and the National Telecommunications and 
Information Administration (NTIA) will host a webinar on May 20, 2015.
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    \1\ Broadband Opportunity Council Notice and Request for 
Comment, 80 FR 23785 (April 29, 2015), available at 
www.ntia.doc.gov/federal-register-notice/2015/broadband-opportunity-council-notice-and-request-comment.

DATES: The webinar will be held on May 20, 2015, from 4:00 p.m. until 
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5:00 p.m. Eastern Daylight Time.

ADDRESSES: The webinar will be open to the public and press on a first-
come, first-served basis. To help assure that adequate space is 
provided, all attendees are required to register for the webinar at 
https://attendee.gotowebinar.com/register/4277364480826458625 by May 
13, 2015. Upon registration, webinar information will be distributed, 
including both the link to the webinar (video) as well as the dial-in 
information (sound). Due to the limited capacity, we encourage and 
request that parties at the same location share a webinar link. Refer 
to the Supplemental Information below and to http://www.rd.usda.gov and 
http://www.ntia.doc.gov/ for additional information on the webinar.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Jennifer Holtz, National 
Telecommunications and Information Administration, U.S. Department of 
Commerce, 1401 Constitution Avenue NW, Room 4878, Washington, DC 20230; 
telephone: (202) 482-2048; email: [email protected] or Denise 
Scott, Rural Development, Rural Utilities Service, U.S. Department of 
Agriculture, 1400 Independence Avenue SW, Washington, DC 20250; 
telephone: (202) 720-1910; email: [email protected]. Please 
direct media inquiries to NTIA's Office of Public Affairs, (202) 482-
7002.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

I. Background

    On January 13, 2015, President Obama announced new Administration 
efforts to help more people, in more communities around the country, 
gain access to fast and affordable broadband.\2\ With this effort, 
President Obama created an interagency Broadband Opportunity Council, 
which is seeking public comment on steps federal agencies can take to 
help promote broadband deployment, adoption and competition.
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    \2\ See FACT SHEET: Broadband That Works: Promoting Competition 
& Local Choice In Next-Generation Connectivity, White House, January 
13, 2015, available at http://www.whitehouse.gov/the-press-office/2015/01/13/fact-sheet-broadband-works-promoting-competition-local-choice-next-gener.
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    The Presidential Memorandum also directs the Council to consult 
with state, local, tribal, and territorial governments, as well as 
telecommunications companies, utilities, trade associations, 
philanthropic entities, policy experts, and other interested parties to 
identify and assess regulatory barriers and determine possible actions. 
This Notice seeks public participation, especially from the named 
stakeholders above, in the Council's RFC webinar to ensure that the RFC 
will bolster the Council's work and to improve the number and quality 
of ideas expressed in response to the RFC.

II. Objectives of This Notice

    The RFC requests public input on: (i) Ways the federal government 
can promote best practices, modernize outdated regulations, promote 
coordination, and offer more services online; (ii) identification of 
regulatory barriers to broadband deployment, competition, and adoption; 
(iii) ways to promote public and private investment in broadband; (iv) 
ways to promote broadband adoption; (v) issues related to state, local, 
and tribal governments; (vi) issues related to vulnerable communities 
and communities with limited or no broadband; (vii) issues specific to 
rural areas; and (viii) ways to measure broadband availability, 
adoption, and speed.
    This Notice announces a public webinar on May 20, 2015 to inform 
all stakeholders and other interested parties on how they can share 
their perspectives and recommend actions that the federal government 
can take to promote broadband deployment, adoption, and competition, 
including by identifying and removing regulatory barriers unduly 
impeding investments in broadband technology. The webinar will educate 
stakeholders and other interested parties on the purpose and objectives 
of the RFC. It will also provide the public with information on how to 
participate in the RFC, while also allowing the public to ask any 
questions about the RFC.

III. Public Webinar

    The purpose of the webinar is to inform the public of the Council's 
RFC and how interested parties may participate in the request. The 
webinar will be open to the public and press on a first-come, first-
served basis. Refer to Addresses above for information on registration 
for the webinar. Should problems arise with webinar

[[Page 26008]]

registration, please contact Jennifer Holtz at (202) 482-2048 or email 
[email protected]. Copies of the presentations provided in the 
webinar will be available on the NTIA Web site within 30 days following 
the webinar.
    The webinar will be accessible to people with disabilities. 
Individuals requiring accommodations are asked to notify Theresa Thomas 
at (202) 482-7407 or [email protected] at least 5 business days 
before the webinar.

    Dated: May 1, 2015.
Lisa Mensah,
Under Secretary for Rural Development.
Lawrence E. Strickling,
Assistant Secretary for Communications and Information.
[FR Doc. 2015-10580 Filed 5-5-15; 8:45 am]
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