Look at Broadband Stimulus as Model for New Broadband Fund, NATOA tells FCC

The National Association of Telecommunications Officers and Advisors (NATOA) and the New America Foundation's Open Technology Initiative urge the Federal Communications Commission to promote broadband deployment regardless of the source and to ensure that local, state, and tribal governments, as well as non-profit entities, are eligible for federal assistance in providing broadband services.

To this end, in the context of the Connect America Fund, the commenters urge the FCC to seek a broadband funding mechanism similar to the Broadband Technology Opportunity Program (BTOP) and the Broadband Initiatives Program (BIP) overseen by the National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) and the Rural Utility Services (RUS) respectively. A review of the NOI and NPRM shows that, unlike under the BTOP and BIP programs, networks operated by local, state, and tribal governments would not be eligible to receive funding under the CAF. Although the funding of local government networks under the CAF would be difficult under current statutory language, we submit these comments to urge the FCC to work with Congress to promote this simple policy: broadband deployment, from whatever source, should be promoted; and wherever the federal government creates a mechanism for broadband deployment, eligibility should not be limited but should always include local, state, and tribal governments, as well as non-profit private entities.