The federal government won’t allow states to apply for FirstNet implementation grants...
The federal government won’t allow states to apply for FirstNet implementation grants until 2013, the NTIA said Tuesday. The agency released a notice on the requirements for the State and Local Implementation Grant Program. The grants, amounting to as much…
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as $135 million set for disbursal in two phases, are intended to kickstart states’ involvement with FirstNet, which named its board on Monday (CD Aug 21 p1). The grant program will be “a formula-based, matching grant program to assist states, in collaboration with regional, tribal, and local jurisdictions, with activities related to planning for the establishment of a nationwide public safety broadband network,” NTIA said (http://xrl.us/bnmof7). “NTIA expects to issue a FFO [Federal Funding Opportunity] and open the application window during the first quarter of calendar year 2013.” It noted it’s not yet accepting applications. The agency will calculate a formula weighing numerous factors and won’t release the “exact contents of the application package that applicants must submit” until the FFO is issued, it said. States can begin preparing based on “likely” requirements, such as establishing the state coordinator of grant funds, establishing methods of local jurisdictional input and determining how existing governance bodies may be leveraged into FirstNet activities, NTIA said.