BTOP

First Broadband Stimulus grants announced

Posted on by joly

Broadband Technologies Opportunities ProgramDec 17: Vice President Biden announced initial recipients of grants in Round 1 of the Broadband Technology Opportunities Program (BTOP) for an amount of $183m. The awards, spread across 17 states, will be matched by $46m from public and private contributors. A total of $2bn in awards are to be rolled over the next 75 days.

The National Economic Council today released a report, “Recovery Act Investment in Broadband: Leveraging Federal Dollars to Create Jobs and Connect America” which details how broadband investment will boost the economy.

Two funded projects are in rural New York State.
Continue reading →

Broadband Stimulus Program Take Two – less is more? Request for comment..

Posted on by joly

Broadband Technologies Opportunities ProgramNov 10 2009: The United States Department of Agriculture’s Rural Utilities Service (RUS) and the Commerce Department’s National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) today announced they are streamlining the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act’s broadband grant and loan programs by awarding the remaining funding in just one more round, instead of two rounds, The first round of RUS’s Broadband Initiatives Program (BIP) and NTIA’s Broadband Technology Opportunities Program (BTOP) garnered $28bn worth of applications, and about $4bn is expected to be awarded in loans/grants. The agencies have issued a Request for Information (RFI) seeking public comment on how the application process may be improved.

Continue reading →

NY State endorses BTOP applications, offers matching funds

Posted on by joly

Broadband Technologies Opportunities Program The office of Governor David A. Paterson has written to the National Telecommunications Information Administration (NTIA) to endorse certain local Broadband Technology Opportunities Program (BTOP) applications. NY State will provide 10% matching funds to any of the listed projects that receive grants. In addition the State has earmarked $7.5m in matching funds for a small number of major infrastructure projects.

The letter.
Continue reading →

Video of NYC BTOP meeting

Posted on by joly

With the deadline for applications for the first round of grants from the $7.2bn set aside for broadband adoption projects in President Obama’s stimulus plan rapidly approaching (Aug14), members of many of NYC communities met to discuss how best to achieve results. Representatives of the City’s Department of Information Technology and Telecommunications (DOITT) poured cold water on many aspirations stating that most, if not all, the cash would go to rural projects. Despite this many declared it their intention to apply.

Audio & Video below. A listserv has been set up for further conversation. Twitter: #nycbtop
Continue reading →

New York City Broadband Technology Opportunities Program (BTOP) Meeting

Posted on by joly

Broadband Technologies Opportunities Program Council Member Gale A. Brewer invites all members of the New York City technology community to discuss the recently released Broadband Technology Opportunities Program (BTOP) funding that has been made available through the federal stimulus package which passed in February 2009. The purpose of this event is to help galvanize interested applicants around common goals. Please distribute this invitation widely and invite all pertinent stakeholders to attend.

When: Tuesday, July 28, 2009 from 6-8 PM
Where: DCTV’s Third Floor Conference Room
87 Lafayette Street, New York, NY 10013 (@ White St) (map)

Contact Kunal Malhotra [kmalhotra@council.nyc.gov] or Sam Wong [samwong.nycc@gmail.com] at (212) 788-6975 if you have any questions and suggestions.

Continue reading →