NTIA blocks Reid's plea for broadband stimulus extension

The National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) has rejected a plea from Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-NV) to extend a deadline for broadband stimulus applications.

The NTIA said late Thursday that its March 15 deadline for second-round applications stands firm. By law, the administration must award all of the money by Sept. 30 and cannot risk more delays, NTIA said. Earlier this week, Sen Reid joined public interest groups and other lawmakers in asking NTIA to extend its deadline. In a letter, Sen Reid said he was "concerned that the application deadline for the second and final round of rural broadband funding ... does not provide applicants sufficient time to improve their applications for resubmission." "Many applicants have only recently received feedback on their first-round application, and many more are still awaiting notification," he said. "The result is a narrow window for reapplication that can be difficult to accommodate." An extension of the deadline, Reid said, "will help ensure all second-round applicants have a reasonable time to prepare the best application for a competitive program." Potential applicants have also expressed frustration with the short time frame.