[Federal Register Volume 81, Number 144 (Wednesday, July 27, 2016)]
[Notices]
[Pages 49209-49210]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2016-17734]


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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, will hold a regional 
broadband summit, ``Big Sky Broadband Workshop,'' 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 
Montana and surrounding states, including projects that NTIA awarded 
through its Broadband Technology Opportunities Program (BTOP) and State 
Broadband Initiative (SBI) grant programs and 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 
11-5, 123 Stat. 115 (2009).

DATES: The Big Sky Broadband Workshop will be held on August 31, 2016, 
from 12:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m., and September 1, 2016, from 9:00 a.m. to 
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5:00 p.m., Mountain Daylight Time.

ADDRESSES: The meeting will be held in Montana at the Hilton Garden 
Inn, 3720 N. Reserve St., Missoula, MT 59808.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Barbara Brown, National 
Telecommunications and Information Administration, U.S. Department of 
Commerce, Room 4628, 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

[[Page 49210]]

federal agencies and funding sources for the purpose of expanding 
broadband infrastructure and adoption throughout America's communities.
    The Big Sky Broadband Workshop features subject matter experts from 
NTIA's BroadbandUSA initiative 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 and demand aggregation, outreach, coordinating 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 
about 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.
    The summit will be open to the public and press. Pre-registration 
is requested, 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/bigskybroadbandworkshop. NTIA 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/bigskybroadbandworkshop.
    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: July 22, 2016.
Kathy D. Smith,
Chief Counsel, National Telecommunications and Information 
Administration.
[FR Doc. 2016-17734 Filed 7-26-16; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510-60-P