Can’t Meet the Broadband Stimulus Extended Deadline? There’s Still Hope.

As thousands of organizations wrap up their applications in hopes of securing
their piece of the $7.2 billion in broadband stimulus funding, there are
thousands more that are finding themselves unable to meet the application
deadline.  Even after the deadline was extended from August 14 to August 20, many WISPs, service providers and operators still struggled to pull together the
extensive applications and meet all the requirements necessary to apply.  And
unfortunately, many of these organizations believe that they are missing out on
their only opportunity to seek funding for their broadband networks.  If you or
your organization have missed the deadline, fear not – there are still a lot of
options for securing funding for your networks.

As anyone who has reviewed the application process for securing stimulus funds
knows, the process is quite lengthy and requires a good deal of resources to
complete.  And given the relatively short period of time between when
applications were open and the deadline, it is no wonder that many organizations
had difficulty pulling together all of the information, network designs,
approvals/certifications, etc.  required in order to apply on time.  But it is
important to keep in mind that this is not the only deadline for federal
broadband stimulus funding – and it is equally important to realize that the
$7.2 billion in broadband stimulus money is not the only funding available for
broadband networks.

Stimulus Funding – A Marathon, Not a Race

First of all, let’s take a look at the current and remaining schedule for
broadband stimulus funding.  The current August 20 deadline is only the deadline
for Round One of the stimulus funding.  The
National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) and the
U.S.  Dept.  of Agriculture’s Rural Utilities
Service (RUS) are the organizations that are administering the existing
broadband stimulus plans, and those organizations have already stated that there
will be two additional rounds (Round Two and Round Three) in the future. 
Though the deadlines for those additional rounds have yet to be announced, all
of the $7.2 billion in stimulus funding must be distributed by September 30,
2010 (just over a year from now), so the Round Two deadline will likely not be
too far out. 

There are two programs that make up this $7.2 billion in funding, and those are
the Broadband Technology
Opportunities Program (BTOP) and the Broadband Initiatives Program
(BIP).  The NTIA is expected to distribute up to $1.6 billion in the first
round of the BTOP program, and the RUS is expected to distribute up to $2.4
billion in the first round of the BIP program.  If both organizations distribute
the maximum in this first round, that will equal a total of $4 billion in Round
One funding.  That leaves an additional $3.2 billion to be distributed over the
next two rounds – and more if the full amount is not distributed in Round One.

So, even if you have missed the first round deadline – you will still have two
more opportunities to apply.  Now, this may seem comforting at first, but it is
important to realize that the Round Two and Round Three deadlines will likely
come and go just as quickly as the Round One deadlines – so it is critical for
every organization to begin preparing immediately, as opposed to waiting for the
next deadline to be announced.  Organizations that want to get a head start
on Round Two should take advantage of the lull in between the first deadline’s
passing and the announcement of the next deadline, and should begin preparing
their applications right away. 

Now, if your organization began preparing an application for Round One and
determined that you just didn’t have the resources to complete it, you should
know that there are a bevy of
organizations out there
offering third-party services to help you get ready.  Whether you need help
with the technical writing, the network design and feasibility testing, or even
just help securing the NTIA-required professional engineer stamp (PE stamp),
there are organizations out there that can either help guide you through, or
complete the entire application on your behalf – depending on your needs.

Remember, Stimulus Funding is Only Part of the Story

While the BTOP and BIP stimulus funding opportunities are excellent, it is also
important for organizations to realize that those programs are NOT the only
funding programs on the block.  In fact, before the American Recovery and
Reinvestment Act (ARRA) was ever signed, there were a large deal of programs
established with the specific purpose of proliferating broadband to under-served
areas.  Below is an overview of just a few of the additional opportunities
that organizations can (and should) pursue, whether in place of or in addition
to their stimulus funding applications. 

USDA Funding for Rural Areas

The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) is one of the key providers
of funding for rural broadband projects.  There are hundreds of grants available
to enable projects ranging from SCADA applications, transportation initiatives,
and broadband extension programs. 

For a complete list of the existing USDA grants available, please visit

this site. 

Once you’ve identified the reference number for the grants that may be
applicable, visit  http://www.usda.gov/ 
for more information on the individual grants and how to apply.  For a list of
2009 USDA grant money available and to download the grant toolkits, please visit
this USDA site. 

Rural Development Community Connect Program

Also offered through the USDA, the Rural Development Community Connect program
is dedicated to providing funding to extend broadband services to areas that are
currently not served.  Today, more than 20 million Americans in rural areas still
have no option for broadband connectivity, often due to the high cost of running
fiber to these remote locations.  At a fraction of what traditional wired telecom
networks would cost, broadband wireless networks are often able to be completely
funded by federal grants from the USDA.  For one example of a rural community
that took matters into their own hands and secured funding from the USDA to
bring wireless broadband to their town, please see

this article.

To apply for a Rural Development Community Connect grant, you must first
register in the Central Contractor Registration (CCR) site, which can be found
here.  After registering at the CCR, you can
then apply for a grant online at
http://www.grants.gov/. 

Community Programs and Facilities Grants

Community Programs and Facilities provide grants to assist in the development of
essential community facilities in rural areas and towns of up to 20,000 in
population.  Grants are authorized on a graduated scale.  Applicants located in
small communities with low populations and low incomes will receive a higher
percentage of grants.  Grants are available to public entities such as
municipalities, counties, and special-purpose districts, as well as non-profit
corporations and tribal governments.  For more information on how to apply,
please visit this USDA Rural
Development site. 

Homeland Security Grants

The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) is another major provider of funds for
broadband wireless networks, as these networks are often key components for the
delivery of critical security applications, such as wireless video surveillance. 
Regardless of the whether you’re trying to secure your city, your transportation
infrastructure (like bridges, roads, public transportation, etc.), a government
building, ports, borders and more – the Department of Homeland Security has a
wide range of grants available. 

To get started, please visit this
FEMA site to
identify the grant that may be the best for your deployment.  At the bottom of
this page you will find links to the instructions and forms you need to apply
for these grants.

The Grant Seeker’s Guide to the Galaxy

Regardless of which grants you pursue, I recommend you start at a simple site
called "The
Grant Seeker’s Guide to the Galaxy".  This site has a ton of links and
resources to not only help you find the grants that are right for you and your
organization, but it also includes links to many presentations and tutorials on
how to write the best, most effective grant proposal possible to ensure that you
can secure the funding you need.  You can also download a more comprehensive list
of grants, funding opportunities and resources by visiting the following site
and downloading the free white paper, entitled "Government
Grants Resource Guide". 

So remember – just because the Round One stimulus deadline has passed does NOT
mean that there is no hope to receive funding for your broadband wireless
network.  There are a lot of options out there for any organization that is
willing to plan ahead and put the time and resources required into the
application process.  And even if your organization is resource constrained,
there are plenty of services out there available to help you prepare your
applications in time.  But don’t wait – the next round of deadlines will
come and go before you know it, and the earlier you begin to prepare, the better
off you’ll be. 

Robb Henshaw is the Director of Marketing & Communications at
Proxim
Wireless, a manufacturer of end-to-end broadband wireless systems, where he
oversees the company’s global marketing and communications efforts.  For the last
8 years he has been dedicated to helping develop the wireless industry, with
expertise in technologies ranging from enterprise WLANs, to carrier-grade
wireless backhaul, to WiMAX and point-to-multipoint broadband wireless access (BWA)
solutions.