NTIA lays out path toward greater interagency coordination across high-speed Internet programs

The National Telecommunications and Information Administration released a report based on the Government Accountability Office’s recommendation to assess legislative barriers in coordinating Federal broadband programs, and how to address those barriers. The report outlines recommendations to build on current efforts, mechanisms currently in place to minimize potential duplication between federal programs, and NTIA’s role in coordination. NTIA makes the following recommendations to build on current efforts:

• Program alignment at the time of authorization: Programs should be standardized to reduce complexity and unnecessary variation for applicants and other stakeholders.
• Coordination of funding: Agencies should continue to coordinate to minimize duplication and to promote the most efficient uses of federal broadband funding for locations with unmet needs. Agencies should document standard operating procedures to that effect.
• Data collection and mapping: Federal broadband programs should include reporting requirements in line with the data standards required for the Broadband Funding Map and NTIA’s annual ACCESS BROADBAND report. Efforts to incentivize states to contribute data to the Broadband Funding Map should be explored.
• Adoption of common policies: Similar award policies would support the ability to adjust awards in the case of inadvertent duplication.  
• Enshrine a deduplication process in a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU): Agencies should consider revising the existing MOUs to establish a single, consistent deduplication review process that includes a review period for other broadband agencies and State Broadband Offices before the funding agency makes final commitments.