On Behalf of Consortium of Associations Representing Thousands of Companies, TIA President Pushes for Open Process to Ensure New Programs’ Purposes Are Fulfilled
Telecommunications Industry Association (TIA) President Grant Seiffert today delivered recommendations on behalf of a coalition representing the information and communications technology (ICT) industry on the development of rules to implement broadband stimulus provisions of the “American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009” (ARRA).
Testifying before the National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) and the Rural Utilities Service (RUS) on behalf of TIA, the Consumer Electronics Association (CEA), the Fiber-To-The-Home (FTTH) Council, the Information Technology Industry Council (ITIC), and TechAmerica, Seiffert urged the NTIA “to embrace the flexibility Congress wove into the Broadband Technology Opportunities Program (BTOP) and allow all entities – private and public – to propose and receive funding for projects that will make broadband technology available in all corners of our nation.”
“Ultimately,” said Seiffert, “fulfilling the purposes of the BTOP should be the driving force behind every decision the NTIA makes with regard to the grant process, in order to serve the best interests of our citizens and our economy. As companies that provide Internet service to millions of Americans and the creators of the technologies and applications that will build the broadband networks and provide consumers the tools they need to harness the Internet, our members work with a vast array of public and private entities to deploy broadband.”
He added: “Their experience shows that all parties – public, private, and partnerships combining the two – can very effectively steer broadband delivery projects. Therefore, in order for the American people to get the most benefit from the stimulus funds allocated to broadband deployment, all parties should be eligible to bid for BTOP funding and show how a project can meet the purposes of the BTOP as established by Congress.”
The coalition recommended that BTOP eligibility standards should be flexible to bring the most qualified and most diverse group of applicants to the table, and that NTIA should focus on:
the value of the proposed project to the American people
the applicant’s ability to use the funds to achieve the project’s objective “Criteria for grant awards should include a proposed project’s area and demographic coverage, cost, and efficiency, along with the quality and suitability of the broadband offering,” said Seiffert.
“An open eligibility policy,” he added, “will allow the NTIA to pick the best among a diverse applicant pool. A flexible approach would also be consistent with the RUS portion of the ARRA, which allows private entities to propose broadband infrastructure projects for funding.”
Read the full text of Seiffert’s opening statement at tiaonline.org.
For more information, please contact Danielle Coffey at (202) 346-3243 or dcoffey@tiaonline.org.
Sign up for TIA RSS news feeds on government affairs and other TIA news.
About TIA
The Telecommunications Industry Association (TIA) represents the global information and communications technology (ICT) industry through standards development, advocacy, tradeshows, business opportunities, market intelligence and world-wide environmental regulatory analysis. With roots dating back to 1924, TIA enhances the business environment for broadband, mobile wireless, information technology, networks, cable, satellite and unified communications. Members’ products and services empower communications in every industry and market, including healthcare, education, security, public safety, transportation, government, the military, the environment and entertainment. TIA co-owns the SUPERCOMM® tradeshow and is accredited by the American National Standards Institute (ANSI). Visit tiaonline.org.
TIA’s Board of Directors includes senior-level executives from ACS, ADC, ADTRAN, Alcatel-Lucent, ANDA Networks, ArrayComm, AttivaCorp, Avaya, Bechtel Communications, Inc., Cisco Systems, Corning Incorporated, Ericsson, Inc., GENBAND, Inc., Graybar, Henkels & McCoy, ILS Technology, Intel Corporation, Intersect, Inc., LGE, Microsoft, Motorola, Nokia Siemens Networks, Nortel, Panasonic Computer Solutions Co., Qualcomm, Research In Motion, Sumitomo Electric Lightwave Corporation, Tellabs, Tyco Electronics, Ulticom, Inc., and Verari Systems. Advisors to the Board include FAL Associates, Orca Systems and Telcordia Technologies.
please sign in to rate this article
44676
