[Federal Register Volume 84, Number 78 (Tuesday, April 23, 2019)]
[Notices]
[Pages 16839-16840]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2019-08176]
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DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE
Rural Utilities Service
Broadband Pilot Program--ReConnect Program
AGENCY: Rural Utilities Service, Department of Agriculture.
ACTION: Notice; announcement of opening date for Rural e-Connectivity
Pilot Program application windows.
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SUMMARY: The Rural Utilities Service (RUS) announced its general policy
and application procedures for funding under the eConnectivity Pilot
Program (ReConnect Program) in a Funding Opportunity Announcement (FOA)
and solicitation of applications on December 14, 2018 in the Federal
Register and amended the application window closing dates in a notice
published on February 25, 2019 in the Federal Register. The Reconnect
Program will provide loans, grants, and loan/grant combinations to
facilitate broadband deployment in rural areas. This Notice announces
the opening date for the ReConnect Program application windows.
DATES: The Agency will begin accepting applications through https://reconnect.usda.gov for all three ReConnect Program funding categories
on April 23, 2019. Please note that each funding category has a
different application deadline (as referenced in Section II of
Supplementary Information). Please refer to the specific funding
category for the appropriate application dates.
ADDRESSES: Application Submission: The application system for
electronic submissions is available at https://reconnect.usda.gov.
Electronic submissions: Electronic submissions of applications will
allow for the expeditious review of an Applicant's proposal. As a
result, all Applicants must file their application electronically.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: For general inquiries regarding the
ReConnect Program, contact Chad Parker, Assistant Administrator
Telecommunications Program, Rural Utilities Service, U.S. Department of
Agriculture (USDA), email: [email protected], telephone
[[Page 16840]]
(202) 720-9554. You may obtain additional information regarding
applications or submit requests for technical assistance at https://www.usda.gov/reconnect/contact-us.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
Authority: This solicitation is issued pursuant to the
Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2018, Public Law 115-141, and the
Rural Electrification Act of 1936, 7 U.S.C. 901 et seq.
Overview
Federal Agency: Rural Utilities Service, USDA.
Funding Opportunity Title: Rural eConnectivity Pilot Program
(ReConnect Program).
Announcement Type: Announcement of Opening Date for Rural e-
Connectivity Pilot Program Application Windows (FOA published in the
Federal Register on December 14, 2018.)
Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance (CFDA) Number: Rural
eConnectivity Pilot Program (ReConnect Program)--10.752.
I. Background
On March 23, 2018, Congress passed the Consolidated Appropriations
Act 2018, which established a broadband loan and grant pilot program,
the ReConnect Program. One of the essential goals of the ReConnect
Program is to expand broadband service to rural areas without
sufficient access to broadband, defined as 10 megabits per second
(Mbps) downstream and 1 Mbps upstream. For this purpose, Congress
provided RUS with $600 million and expanded its existing authority to
make loans and grants.
On December 14, 2018, RUS published a Funding Opportunity
Announcement (FOA) and solicitation of applications in the Federal
Register at 83 FR 64315. The FOA provided the policy and application
procedures for the ReConnect Program. On February 25, 2019, RUS
published a notice announcing the application deadlines in the Federal
Register at 84 FR 5981. The agency is publishing this notice to provide
the date that the application windows will open.
Since the publication of the December 14, 2018 FOA, the 2019
Appropriations Act became law on February 15, 2019. The 2019
Appropriations Act requires that the Agency shall, in determining
whether an entity may overbuild, or duplicate broadband expansion
efforts made by any entity that has received a broadband loan from RUS,
not consider loans that were rescinded or defaulted on, or whose loan
terms and conditions were not met, if the new entity under
consideration has not previously defaulted on, or failed to meet the
terms and conditions of, an RUS loan or had an RUS loan rescinded. To
address these issues, the actions taken in the Notice published in the
Federal Register (84 FR 14911) on April 12, 2019: (1) Revises the
definition of Broadband loan in the FOA, as published in the Federal
Register on December 14, 2018, as required by the 2019 Appropriations
Act; (2) describes any changes to the data used in the protected
broadband service areas mapping layer and, (3) announces the criteria
by which applicants may challenge the determination of service area
eligibility. These actions were taken by the Agency to ensure that all
eligible service areas receive fair consideration for funding under the
ReConnect Program.
Telecommunications companies, rural electric cooperatives and
utilities, internet service providers and municipalities may apply for
funding through the ReConnect Program to connect rural areas that do
not have sufficient broadband service. Funds will be awarded to
projects that have financially sustainable business models that will
bring high-speed broadband to rural homes, businesses, farms, ranches
and community facilities, such as first responders, health care sites,
and schools. The ReConnect Program enables USDA to create and implement
innovative solutions to rural connectivity by providing various
financial options to our partners and customers.
II. Funding Categories and Application Submission Dates
A. Funding Categories
1. 100 Percent Loan
Applications will be accepted on a rolling basis from April 23,
2019 through July 12, 2019. If two loan applications are received for
the same proposed funded service area, the application that arrives
first will be considered first.
2. 50 Percent Loan/50 Percent Grant Combination
Applications will be accepted from April 23, 2019 through June 21,
2019. Notwithstanding overlapping applications, generally all eligible
applications will be scored and the applications with the highest score
will receive an award offer until all funds are expended for this
category. Scoring criteria was established in the Federal Register FOA
on December 14, 2018 and can also be found on the website https://reconnect.usda.gov.
3. 100 Percent Grant
Applications will be accepted from April 23, 2019 through May 31,
2019. Notwithstanding overlapping applications, generally all eligible
applications will be scored and the applications with the highest score
will receive an award offer until all funds are expended for this
category. Scoring criteria was established in the FOA, published in
Federal Register on December 14, 2018, and can also be found on the
website https://reconnect.usda.gov.
B. Available Funds
USDA is making available up to $200 million in in program level for
grants, $200 million in program level for loan and grant combinations,
and $200 million in program level for low-interest loans. RUS retains
the discretion to divert funds from one funding category to another.
III. Program Requirements
To be eligible for an award, applications must meet all the
requirements contained in the FOA published in the Federal Register on
December 14, 2018 at 83 FR 64315. Information can also be found at
https://reconnect.usda.gov.
Chad Rupe,
Acting Administrator, Rural Utilities Service.
[FR Doc. 2019-08176 Filed 4-22-19; 8:45 am]
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