Closing the Broadband Availability Gap and Support the Development of a Five-Year Action Plan

Description

Purpose: The Purpose of This Grant Is to Support Closing the Broadband Availability Gap and Support the Development of a Five-Year Action Plan.the Proposed Project Includes the Following Planning and Pre-Deployment Activities: Research and Data Collection, Including Initial Identification of Unserved Locations and Underserved Locations Consistent with Rules, Regulations, and Processes Commission Has Established for Making Determinations in Broadband Data Maps; the Development of a Preliminary Budget for Pre-Planning Activities; Publications, Outreach, and Communications Support; Providing Technical Assistance to Potential Subgrantees, Including Through Workshops and Events; Training for Employees of Broadband Program or Office of Eligible Entity or Employees or Political Subdivisions of Eligible Entity, and Related Staffing Capacity or Consulting or Contracted Support to Effectuate Goals of Bead Program; Establishing, Operating, or Increasing Capacity of a Broadband Office That Oversees Broadband Programs and Broadband Deployment in an Eligible Entity; Asset Mapping Across the Eligible Entity to Catalogue Broadband Adoption, Affordability, Equity, Access and Deployment Activities Occurring Within the Eligible Entity; and Conducting Surveys of Unserved, Underserved, and Underrepresented Communities to Better Understand Barriers to Adoption.expected Outcomes: The Outcomes of Rhode Island's Proposed Project, "Rhode Island Broadband Development Program (Bdp," Are a Coordinated and Integrated Strategy in the Five-Year Action Plan and Initial Proposals (for Bead and Digital Equity Programs), Fostering Digital Equity Throughout the State, Establish Initial Broadband and Digital Equity Goals, Principles, and Priorities; Enhancing a Previous Statewide Assessment of Infrastructure and Service Availability; Supporting Continuous Prioritization of Efforts, Project Planning, Progress, Compliance and Reporting, and the Challenge Process; Refining the State's Goals, Principles, Priorities, and Strategies for Digital Equity; Lowering the Administrative Burden of Expertise and Standardizing Advice Across the State; and Reach Over 3,000 Respondents to Understand Barriers to Broadband Access, Affordability, Adoption, Digital Literacy, Online Privacy and Cybersecurity, and Access to Digital Opportunities and Devices.intended Beneficiaries: The Intended Beneficiaries Are Unserved and Underserved Groups in the State of Rhode Island with a Focus on Rural and Unserved Populations.subrecipient Activities: The Recipient Does Intend to Subaward Funds to Local Governments, Local Stakeholders, and Regional Stakeholders.