[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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