Broadband Technical Assistance

The Rural Utilities Service (RUS or the Agency), a Rural Development (RD) agency of the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA), announces the acceptance of applications for Broadband Technical Assistance (BTA) for Fiscal Year (FY) 2023. Broadband Technical Assistance provides competitive cooperative agreement funding to eligible entities to receive or deliver broadband technical assistance and training that promotes the expansion of broadband into rural areas. Examples of broadband technical assistance projects may include conducting feasibility studies, completing network designs, and developing broadband financial assistance applications. The Agency encourages applicants to consider projects that will advance the following key priorities. Assisting rural communities recover economically through more and better market opportunities and through improved infrastructure; Ensuring all rural residents have equitable access to RD programs and benefits from RD funded projects; and Reducing climate pollution and increasing resilience to the impacts of climate change through economic support to rural communities. In addition, the Agency encourages applicants to work with the Rural Partners Network. The Rural Partners Network is an all-of-government program that demonstrates to rural America that the federal government can work differently to serve their unique needs in a way this is community-centered and locally-driven. RPN is a recognition by the Biden Administration that it is time to do more for rural communities. Applicants to this funding opportunity are encouraged to include RPN Community Networks in their proposals by identifying Community Networks as collaborative partners or recipients of service. Please visit Community Networks Rural.gov for more information on locations of the 36 RPN Community Networks spanning ten states and Puerto Rico. To access specific contact information for prospective network participants to determine fit, please contact RuralPartnersNetwork@usda.gov All applicants should carefully review and prepare their applications according to instructions in the BTA Application Guide and program resources. This Application Guide and program resources can be found on the BTA website at: https://www.rd.usda.gov/programs-services/telecommunications-programs/broadband-technical-assistance-program. Additionally, program requirements can be found in the Funding Opportunity Announcement (FOA) available in the Federal Register at: https://www.federalregister.gov/d/2023-08233.
Categories: Business and Commerce, Community Development, Regional Development, Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA).