[Federal Register Volume 81, Number 36 (Wednesday, February 24, 2016)]
[Notices]
[Pages 9172-9173]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2016-03857]


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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

National Telecommunications and Information Administration


Community Broadband Summit

AGENCY: National Telecommunications and Information Administration, 
U.S. Department of Commerce.

ACTION: Notice of open meeting.

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SUMMARY: The National Telecommunications and Information Administration 
(NTIA), through the BroadbandUSA program, in conjunction with Next 
Century Cities will hold a one-day regional broadband summit, ``Digital 
Northwest,'' to share information to help communities build their 
broadband capacity and utilization. The summit will present best 
practices and lessons learned from broadband network infrastructure 
build-outs and digital inclusion programs from the State of Washington 
and surrounding states, including projects funded by NTIA's Broadband 
Technology Opportunities Program (BTOP) and State Broadband Initiative 
(SBI) grant programs funded by the American Recovery and Reinvestment 
Act of 2009.\1\ The summit will also explore effective business and 
partnership models and will include access to regional policymakers, 
federal funders and industry providers.
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    \1\ American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009, Public Law 
111-5, 123 Stat. 115 (2009).

DATES: The Digital Northwest Broadband Summit will be held on March 21, 
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2016, from 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., Pacific Daylight Time.

ADDRESSES: The meeting will be held at the Bell Harbor Conference 
Center, 2211 Alaskan Way, Pier 66, Seattle, WA 98121.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Barbara Brown, National 
Telecommunications and Information Administration, U.S. Department of 
Commerce, Room 4889, 1401 Constitution Avenue NW., Washington, DC 
20230; telephone: (202) 280-8260; email: [email protected]. Please 
direct media inquiries to NTIA's Office of Public Affairs, (202) 482-
7002; email: [email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: NTIA's BroadbandUSA program provides expert 
advice and field-proven tools for assessing broadband adoption, 
planning new infrastructure and engaging a wide range of partners in 
broadband projects. BroadbandUSA convenes workshops on a regular basis 
to bring stakeholders together to discuss ways to improve broadband 
policies, share best practices, and connect communities to other 
federal agencies and funding sources for the purpose of expanding 
broadband infrastructure and adoption throughout America's communities.
    The Digital Northwest Broadband Summit features subject matter 
experts from NTIA's BroadbandUSA program and will include NTIA 
presentations that discuss lessons learned through the implementation 
of the BTOP and SBI grants. A panel will explore key elements required 
for successful broadband projects using a mix of regional examples. 
Topics will include marketing/demand aggregation, outreach, 
coordination with government agencies, partnership strategies, 
construction and oversight. A second panel will explore why broadband 
matters in comprehensive community planning and will provide real-world 
examples of how broadband applications help communities improve 
economic development, workforce development and education 
opportunities. A third panel will examine business model options, 
including private networks, public/private partnerships, co-ops and 
municipal systems. Panelists will provide tips to communities on how to 
research funding options, make a compelling case to funders and 
leverage multiple federal and state and non-profit funding streams. 
Community leaders interested in expanding economic development 
opportunities or commercial providers interested in expanding their 
markets, among others, should find the information presented at the 
summit valuable as they plan their broadband projects.
    The summit will be open to the public and press. Pre-registration 
is required, and space is limited. Portions of the meeting will be 
webcast. Information on how to pre-register for the meeting and how to 
access the free, live webcast will be available on NTIA's Web site: 
https://www.ntia.doc.gov/other-publication/2016/NWsummit. NTIA

[[Page 9173]]

will ask registrants to provide their first and last names and email 
addresses for both registration purposes and to receive any updates on 
the summit. If capacity for the meeting is reached, NTIA will maintain 
a waiting list and will inform those on the waiting list if space 
becomes available. Meeting updates, changes in the agenda, if any, and 
relevant documents will be also available on NTIA's Web site at https://www.ntia.doc.gov/other-publication/2016/NWsummit.
    The public meeting is physically accessible to people with 
disabilities. Individuals requiring accommodations, such as language 
interpretation or other ancillary aids, are asked to notify Barbara 
Brown at the contact information listed above at least five (5) 
business days before the meeting.

    Dated: February 19, 2016.
Kathy D. Smith,
Chief Counsel, National Telecommunications and Information 
Administration.
[FR Doc. 2016-03857 Filed 2-23-16; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510-60-P