NTIA Funding Letter

House Commerce Committee Chairman Henry Waxman (D-CA) and Communication Subcommittee Chairman Rick Boucher (D-VA) sent a letter urging the House Appropriations Committee to ensure that the National Telecommunications and Information Administration receives full funding to oversee and manage the grants it has awarded across the nation under the Broadband Technology Opportunities Program.

They note that since BTOP infrastructure projects are complex and a number of awardees are new to the federal grant process, most, if not all, projects will require technical assistance and careful monitoring, including site visits, to ensure they achieve· their program objectives, are completed on time, and comply with federal regulations. The President's FY 2011 budget includes $23.7 million for BTOP oversight, monitoring, management, and reporting.