In the report, is some interesting information and a rough timeline of dates for project milestones.
Over 1600 groups and individuals have filed comments concerning the use of the Broadband Stimulus funds, and a summary of these will be available at or soon after the posting of the first NOFA.
NTIA has reported that it anticipates meeting the following milestones:
Publish Notice of Funds Availability - June 2009*
Initial Proposal Processing and Review Sept – Dec. 2009
Initial Grant Awards Made - Dec. 2009
Second Solicitation for Proposals Oct – Dec 2009
Third Solicitation for Proposals April – June 2010
All Awards to Be Made - September 2010
There is no explanation of the asterisk on the one NTIA date.
RUS, meanwhile, has reported that it anticipates meeting the following milestones:
Publish a NOFA for first round funding -- June 2009
Initial Awards -- by end of FY 2009 or first quarter of FY 2010 (OMB summary includes both dates at different points)
Additional NOFAs to follow with awards anticipated in the 2nd-4th quarters of FY 2010.
These dates are tracking to previous published expectations. What did not happen this week was the unveiling of a Rural Broadband Plan as required by the 2008 Farm Act.
The communication this week is further proof that both NTIA and RUS are a bit overwhelmed with assembling a coherent, fair and effective process for the awarding of grants. For those expecting to apply and be awarded grants or loans - the waiting game continues.
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( 3 / 130 )Yesterday, I attended a call hosted by TechAmerica (Formerly the AeA) in which California state officials updated stakeholders on the State's plans to allocate and spend broadband monies that will be available from the Federal Stimulus (ARRA). Although the meeting focused on California, much of the resulting information was relevant enough to all our customers that I wanted to post it here. Since the meetings notes themselves are so long, I have decided to post the summary today and will follow up with my reactions later this week or early next week.
- Rebecca Law
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( 3 / 122 )I have received quite a few emails on the smart grid topic and I want to thank you for the support. Please consider using “Comments” next time? I hate being the lone voice on these topics and we could all benefit from your perspective. Hopefully today’s entry will answer some of the questions you have asked and will give you more “hot buttons” that you can hit upon in you applications for ARRA funds.
My previous entry was intended to give you some background information on the types of interfaces that will be required for the smart grid and the current state of standardizing the interfaces. I did this so that you might feel comfortable with being able to state that your IP and Ethernet-based access and aggregation networks are well suited to provide communications services in support of the smart grid initiative. This week, I want to take the next logical step and tell you more about the home sensor network and how you can leverage ARRA initiatives to improve your application for funds.
Consider a network of very tiny computers that have the potential to be embedded inexpensively in a vast array of devices. These tiny computers, sensors, are capable of many things that a large computer system is capable of but for now, restrict their functionality to data collection and device control. Data collection measures capacity, device state, or temperature for example and provides that information periodically or on demand. Device control enables a sensor to turn on and off a device or to adjust one or more of the device’s operating parameters. It is possible that some sensors will only listen and act upon instruction but for the most part, it is critical that a two-way network of some type connect the sensors together and to a user console (remote control, PC or cell phone) or software management system which coordinates the sensor information and actions.
From a smart grid perspective, this sensor network allows home appliances to make intelligent decisions about energy usage. To support this application, you might expect sensors to be embedded in the electrical outlets and switches, power meter, main breaker box, hot water heater, washing machine, dishwasher, air conditioner, furnace, heat pump, hot tub, generator, solar panel, plug-in hybrid electric vehicles and many more. With a home sensor network, these appliances can make operating decisions based upon energy price signals that are broadcast on the network or they can be directly controlled. The dishwasher can be loaded, filled with soap and waiting for the low-price signal to be issued by the power company before it begins a cycle. The hot tub can be brought up to temperature when you are preparing to leave from work and even if you forget, it will reset to low temp after midnight. The consumer’s goal is to save resources and money by reducing wasted energy but the global impact of the ability to match energy production to consumption is even more profound.
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( 3 / 137 )As we approach the final steps in the broadband stimulus public policy process, the Obama Administration is on the cusp of putting new leadership in place over all of the key agencies that lead the Broadband Stimulus package policy effort. These new leaders will have substantial influence on broadband stimulus policy, so we wanted to provide you with some background on each member of the new team:
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( 3 / 125 )Like a child awaiting Christmas, there may finally be clarity next week on how the Stimulus monies will be distributed.
Two different drivers are setting this expectation: Next week marks the 90 day anniversary of approval of ARRA, and both the Commerce and Agriculture Departments are to report to Congress. As we have seen from the hearings this week, Congress is eager to see the stimulus funds distributed quickly and will be pressing hard for the rules to be released. Some believe that the rules will arrive simultaneously with the official reports.
Second, May 22 is the one year anniversary of the 2008 Farm Bill that required the Ag Department to develop a Rural Broadband plan within one year. This will most likely be the template for the National Broadband plan the FCC was directed to develop in ARRA.
Net-net: I believe there is a reasonable chance we will get some of the answers we have been waiting for next week. And to use the Christmas analogy again, when we unwrap the big shiny box we will be able to decide if it truly is a shiny new toy.
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