NTIA Suspends EAGLE-Net Broadband Construction

The National Telecommunications and Information Administration has temporarily suspended the EAGLE-Net Alliance's broadband build-out, to schools and libraries, which is being partially underwritten by stimulus funding under NTIA's Broadband Technology Opportunities Program (BTOP).

"Yesterday, EAGLE-Net Alliance (ENA) was instructed by the National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) to temporarily suspend current construction activity while we provide them additional information about our project," the alliance said. "We take this very seriously and are working closely with the NTIA to provide this information in order to resume construction as quickly as possible." But ENA suggested it was not a big deal anyway. "Although construction has been temporarily postponed, it was already winding down for the 2012 build schedule. Our non-construction related operations will not be affected." “NTIA has suspended the project and required EAGLE-Net to stop work in order to address concerns about its adherence to environmental and cultural resources requirements," said Anthony Wilhelm, who heads up the BTOP broadband stimulus funding program. "Our expectation is that ENA will resolve these issues so that the project can quickly resume and continue to deliver broadband benefits to communities statewide."