[Federal Register Volume 88, Number 242 (Tuesday, December 19, 2023)]
[Notices]
[Pages 87750-87751]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2023-27813]


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DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

Rural Utilities Service

[Docket #: RUS-22-TELECOM-0058]


Notice of Funding Opportunity for the Community Connect Grant 
Program for Fiscal Year 2023

AGENCY: Rural Utilities Service, USDA.

ACTION: Notice, correction, and extension of application window.

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SUMMARY: The Rural Utilities Service (RUS or the Agency), a Rural 
Development (RD) agency of the United States Department of Agriculture 
(USDA), published a Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO) in the Federal 
Register on March 20, 2023, to announce the acceptance of applications 
under the Community Connect Grant (CCG) program for Fiscal Year 2023. 
The NOFO also announced the availability of approximately $79 million 
for FY 2023 that would be made available to eligible applicants to 
construct broadband networks that provide

[[Page 87751]]

service on a community-oriented connectivity basis in rural areas. This 
correction notice is amending the definition of an Eligible Service 
Area and announcing an extension of the application window until 
February 20, 2024. Existing and new applicants should refer to the 
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION section of this notice for additional 
guidelines on being considered for funding under this opportunity and 
the public notice requirement that applies.

DATES: The changes in this correction notice are effective December 19, 
2023. Completed applications for grants must be submitted 
electronically by no later than 11:59 a.m. Eastern Time (ET), February 
20, 2024.

ADDRESSES: All applications must be submitted electronically at: 
https://www.rd.usda.gov/community-connect. This correction to the 
funding opportunity will also be posted to https://www.grants.gov.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Randall Millhiser at 
[email protected], Deputy Assistant Administrator, Office of 
Loan Origination and Approval, RUS, U.S. Department of Agriculture, 
1400 Independence Avenue SW, Mail Stop 1590, Room 4121-S, Washington, 
DC 20250-1590, or call (202) 578-6926.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 
    Authority: The CCG program is authorized under the Rural 
Electrification Act of 1936 (RE Act) and implemented by 7 CFR part 
1739.
    Application Submission: Existing applicants that submitted an 
application under the original application window will need to review 
their application to determine if the submission remains eligible as a 
result of the change made to an eligible Proposed Funded Service Area 
in this notice. If the application is still eligible or is adjusted to 
become eligible, applicants must resubmit their application under this 
new window to be considered for funding. New applicants that meet the 
eligibility requirements of 7 CFR 1739 and the NOFO as amended by this 
notice may also submit an application for consideration.
    Public Notice Requirement: The Public Notice requirement applies to 
all submitted applications. Once the application window closes, the 
Agency will publish a public notice of each application in accordance 
with 7 CFR 1739.15(l).

Corrections

    In FR Doc. 2023-05549 of March 30, 2023 (88 FR 16579),
    1. Column 3, page 16579, revise the DATE section to read as 
follows:
    DATES: Completed applications for grants must be submitted 
electronically by no later than 11:59 a.m. Eastern Time (ET), February 
20, 2024.
    2. Column 3, page 16580, under Section C.3(a), Other, revise 
subparagraph (i) in its entirety and the first sentence of subparagraph 
(iv) to read as follows:
    (i) RUS will validate that broadband service does not exist in 
areas that applicants describe as having no broadband access or access 
that is less than 10 Megabits per second (Mbps) downstream plus 1 Mbps 
upstream.
* * * * *
    (iv) Areas receiving, or areas that have received final approval 
for, other federal funding to construct terrestrial facilities 
providing at least 10/1 Mbps service in the project Proposed Funded 
Service Area as of the date of this notice, and which have been 
reported to the agency, are ineligible. * * *

Andrew Berke,
Administrator, Rural Utilities Service, USDA Rural Development.
[FR Doc. 2023-27813 Filed 12-18-23; 8:45 am]
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