NTIA’s BroadbandMatch Web Site Tool

The Department of Commerce National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) invites the general public and other federal agencies to comment on proposed and/or continuing information collections. The NTIA proposes to continue BroadbandMatch as an online resource for communities pursuing broadband projects and programs to advance the Obama Administration’s goal of increased broadband deployment and use in the United States.

The BroadbandMatch Web site began during the final funding round of NTIA’s Broadband Technology Opportunities Program (BTOP) and the US Department of Agriculture’s Broadband Initiatives Program (BIP) as a tool for potential applicants to identify possible partners whose resources and expertise could strengthen the project proposals. The NTIA believes BroadbandMatch has ongoing utility and ability to cost effectively advance the Administration’s goals by facilitating sharing among BTOP grantees and others of best practices for completing successful broadband projects and facilitating partnerships to undertake new broadband projects. BroadbandMatch helps inexpensively to leverage Recovery Act investments to achieve the Administration’s ongoing goal of ensuring that all Americans can access affordable, ubiquitous broadband service and develop the skills to use this empowering technology effectively. BroadbandMatch users access the Web site through an Internet browser and voluntarily complete a brief profile requesting. Registered users may then search the database for potential project partners by organization type, state, or keyword. Individuals, business or other for-profit organizations, not-for- profit institutions, and federal, state, local, or tribal governments can access the service, at no cost to the public.