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Know Your Stimulus

Stimulus News

BTOP-CCI Deadline Extended 2 weeks
NTIA and RUS will grant a limited extension of time to file infrastructure applications in the second funding round. Specifically, applicants for BTOP Comprehensive Community Infrastructure projects will have until March 26th to file their applications to NTIA. Applicants for BIP infrastructure projects will have until March 29th to file their applications to RUS.

Applications in NTIA's two other project categories - Public Computer Centers and Sustainable Broadband Adoption - remain due on March 15th.

NTIA and RUS officially open online applications for final round of broadband stimulus funding
The application window for the second and final round of the Broadband Technology Opportunities Program (BTOP) and the Broadband Initiatives Program (BIP) funding is officially open. The National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) and the Rural Utilities Service (RUS) have posted information on how to access the online application on the Broadband USA Web site.

According to the Web site, “In preparation for the second round of funding, RUS and NTIA have made significant upgrades and improvements to the online application system to address the challenges applicants faced during Round 1.” It recommends not waiting until the last moment to begin filing your application because of the high volume of applications expected.

Go to Broadband USA for more details.

NTIA Awards the State of Wisconsin Dept of Admin $22M BTOP Grant ( 02/18/10)
The State of Wisconsin Department of Administration was awarded a $22,978,367 infrastructure BTOP grant by the National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) on Thursday, February 18.  The project will bring fiber to 467 schools and libraries in WI.  With the E-rate deadline today I’ve not had time to update the website, but

Project information is in the “August” section of the Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction’s ARRA Broadband website.

Read the two page summary of the grant’s Executive Summary (pdf) and the NTIA news release (pdf).

From Bob Bocher, Library Technology Consultant with the Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction’s Division for Libraries, Technology and Community Learning (the State Library Agency):

“Based on everything we’ve been through with this whole process here are what I view as the strengths of our application. No surprises here.

-  Our application is statewide and thus has a large impact

-  Our application has a strong public – private partnership

-  Our application articulates a particular need or problem, documented with ALA survey data, and a solution to that need/problem

-  Our application builds on an existing network structure (BadgerNet) and we have a plan that long predates ARRA BB funding (Wisconsin Educational Network, http://www.doa.state.wi.us/docview.asp?docid=1098)  

-  Our application has a very viable, long-term sustainability strategy and the BTOP $$ will have long-term benefits.”

Inside the Broadband Stimulus Workshops (GovTech 02/11/10)
The NTIA's preference for collaboration extends to public computing grant applications as well. Strickling said he wouldn't even consider applications requesting less than $500,000. He spoke glowingly of statewide library proposals his agency had already approved. The winning applicants involved several libraries and based their submissions on survey research of where the most need existed in their states.

"It's much more impressive of a project to us than some we've gotten where a single library filed and asked for a $20,000 grant to create a public computer center," Strickling remarked. "That isn't to say they didn't have a meaningful project for their community. [But] it costs us more than $20,000 to even look at that application." Read more.....

NTIA and RUS Announce Notice of Funds Availability of Second-Round Broadband Stimulus Funding

The Department of Commerce's National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) and the USDA’s Rural Utilities Service (RUS) announced the Notice of Funds Availability (NOFA) for BTOP (pdf) and BIP (pdf) of $4.8 billion in American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) grants and loans to expand broadband access and adoption in America. This is the second funding round for the agencies’ broadband programs. Read the full text of the press announcement here.

The new application window opens February 16th and closes March 15th. For key round two changes, see the BTOP fact sheet. In the coming days, the ALA Washington Office will analyze the NOFAs and will issue informational summaries and other resources for libraries here as well as District Dispatch.

Upcoming BTOP/BIP Information Sessions

Webinars The Washington Office will host more webinars in the coming weeks. Previous webinars are archived here. To receive the earliest updates about when past webinar videos become available on-line, subscribe to our blog, District Dispatch.

Workshops The Department of Commerce's National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) and the Department of Agriculture's Rural Utilities Service (RUS) announced its second series of public workshops connected to the application process for the second round of broadband grants and loans under the Recovery Act. As in the first round, NTIA and RUS gave extensive consideration to the workshop locations: they selected locations representative of rural and urban needs, as well as a diversity of regions, populations, topographies and city/metropolitan-area sizes. They also considered the travel needs of attendees.

The workshops are free and open to the general public. 

via Broadband USA

Case Studies

ala.org/casestudies (pdf)

The case studies of these five networks reveal lessons learned that may be instructive for other libraries seeking to establish successful networks. This publication was developed as part of the Opportunity Online Broadband Grant Program, funded by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation to help libraries increase and sustain free, quality public access to computers for their patrons.

Networks highlighted in publication include the Ohio Public Library Information Network (OPLIN), West Virginia’s Statewide Library Network (SLN), Wisconsin’s BadgerNet, the Maine School and Library Network (MSLN), and the Peninsula Library System (PLS) of California.

The case studies offer no single recipe for a successful library network. Rather, they provide a set of options for libraries to consider as they pursue solutions tailored to the unique circumstances and needs of their community, region, or state.

“Our objective with creating this publication is to stimulate creative thinking that will ultimately result in better connectivity for libraries and their patrons across the country,” Carrie McGuire, director of OITP’s Program on Networks, said.

“Between the funding available for special projects through the Broadband Technology Opportunities Program (BTOP) and the ongoing support for connectivity from the E-rate program, library leaders find themselves in a unique position to consider the development of large-scale broadband networks.”

The publication, available at ala.org/casestudies (pdf), also includes a technical primer on broadband connectivity and networking strategies as well as a networking glossary.

Round One Application Status

Round One - Search Applications Find out the status of any round one application. (Round 2 applications will be posted to the Applications Database at the end of the Round 2 application period.)

Fiber to the Library

fiber thumbThe ALA Office for Information Technology Policy (OITP) has released the official version of its policy brief, “Fiber to the Library: How Public Libraries Can Benefit." The purpose of this paper is to assist libraries in understanding the benefits of fiber optic technology and to suggest strategies they can consider when exploring how to obtain fiber connectivity. This paper provides background information and arguments that may be useful in library community applications to the Broadband Technology Opportunities Program (BTOP) of the U.S. Department of Commerce.

This policy brief (No. 1) represents the first publication in a newly structured OITP Policy Brief series of signed papers. Subsequent policy briefs are expected to be released in the coming months.