Many Stimulus Projects Await Environmental Assessment; RUS Seeks Targeted Outreach
Many stimulus broadband projects are still waiting for environmental review, though construction has been under way throughout the country, Rural Utilities Service Administrator Jonathan Adelstein said Wednesday during the Broadband Talk Radio show Gigabit Nation. Meanwhile, the agency is considering more outreach efforts to minority projects for potential grant and loan opportunities, he said.
Sign up for a free preview to unlock the rest of this article
If your job depends on informed compliance, you need International Trade Today. Delivered every business day and available any time online, only International Trade Today helps you stay current on the increasingly complex international trade regulatory environment.
For some stimulus projects, the process of meeting state and local requirements, including environmental requirements, is taking longer than expected, Adelstein said during the show, hosted by community broadband consultant Craig Settles. Adelstein understands that states and local governments have specific rules and requirements but said the process of getting those reviews done is slow. Nevertheless, he expects more projects to be up and running soon. People can’t wait to get broadband, Adelstein said. The broadband stimulus program requires that all funds be spent three years from the time of award and the three-year period won’t start until all the reviews are done, he said.
Adelstein warned that the FCC’s universal service revamp may mean some RUS loans would no longer be financially feasible, citing data filed with the FCC. If revenues go down, it’s hard to repay the loan, he said. It’s a matter of balancing all the demands for a very limited fund, he said. But RUS doesn’t have a revamp proposal, he said. “We don’t need to tell FCC how to do their job,” he said.
Going forward, RUS wants more state engagement, Adelstein said. The agency has state directors that will identify broadband availability based on NTIA’s national broadband map, he said. There are two goals: identifying the gaps and resources and improving deployment, he said. The agency also has general field representatives that help with applications, he said. RUS encourages potential applicants to contact their state general field representatives for non-competitive programs, he said.
RUS is doing major targeted outreach and developing programs that identify and cultivate participation of minorities, Adelstein said. RUS has had grants out to native American tribes and corporations serving tribes but “we haven’t done enough,” he said. More outreach to minority communities is a priority, he said. RUS also works with municipality applicants, which have different requirements than other applicants, he said. Municipalities have unique needs and each one is different, he said. RUS welcomes municipalities to apply for its loan/grant programs, he said.
As stimulus programs wind down, there are other RUS loan/grant programs, Adelstein said. Awards for Community Connect Program are expected to be announced by the end of September, he said. Awards for distance learning and telemedicine loan program will be announced this fall, he said. Settles noted that more wireline projects got funded than wireless projects. Adelstein emphasized that RUS programs are technology-neutral. Additionally, all projects need to be financially and technologically feasible, he said.