The Oregon Broadband Office is currently accepting grant applications for the $156.8 million it received from the US Treasury DepartmentAmerican Rescue Plan Act Capital Project Fund.
Previously, the U.S. Treasury approved $149 million in Capital Projects Fund grants to cover the cost of rural broadband deployments in Oregon, which would be distributed through a broadband infrastructure program.
The previous release from the US Treasury reported a sum of 156.7 million dollars, of which a portion of 7.7 million would be used for administrative costs.
Oregon Broadband Office Director Nick Batz said in a prepared statement, “Access to broadband is essential for all Oregonians. Our students need access for remote learning, our businesses need access to reach national and global markets, and our seniors depend on it for telehealth and connection.
Batz added: “In Oregon, a total of approximately 145,060 households do not have access to reliable high-speed internet. Programs like BDP can fill this gap.
According to a press release this week, recipients of the funds will be able to use them for the creation and deployment of broadband infrastructure projects that will provide reliable broadband service (minimum 100/100 Mbps) to underserved people ( which refers to the absence of an Internet connection). wired connection that consistently provides 100/20 Mbps) or unserved (which refers to the absence of a wired connection consistently providing 25 Mbps download and 3 Mbps upload) in Oregon that do not have a wireline service of at least 100/20 Mbps.
Who is eligible to apply?
Oregon’s nine federally recognized tribes, non-profit associations, municipalities, electric utilities, cooperatives, municipal affiliations, and private and for-profit businesses are all eligible to receive this funding. Individual and partnership applications are accepted.
What is the deadline for submitting applications?
The deadline for submitting BDP applications is April 25, 2024 at 5 p.m. PST.
What is the grading system for the Oregon Broadband Office Award?
Each unserved location will receive 10 points and each underserved location will receive 5 points. If the monthly cost of 100/100 Mbps service is $30 or less, you can earn 5 points for each location, and you can earn 2 points per site if the cost is $30 to $50 per month.
It is also worth noting that for every percentage point of total project costs that contractors contribute, they will also receive 50 points.
Once the points are totaled, an additional 5% to the project score is added if the project meets one of the following four priorities. This is a region-wide consideration, municipal/cooperative/nonprofit affiliation, high level of readiness, and a block or census tract with social vulnerability moderate to high.
Governor Tina Kotek said, “We must address the digital divide in Oregon and among Oregon’s federally recognized tribes.”
Kotek added: “The broadband deployment program is an important opportunity to establish critical infrastructure to ensure sustainable and quality internet access, which will increase pathways to education, business development , health care and much more in our state.
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