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: The Proposed Project Includes: 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; 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; Conducting Surveys of Unserved, Underserved, and Underrepresented Communities to Better Understand Barriers to Adoption; Asset Mapping Across the Eligible Entity to Catalogue Broadband Adoption, Affordability, Equity, Access and Deployment Activities Occurring Within the Eligible Entity; Costs Associated with Meeting the Local Coordination Requirements in Section IV.C.1.C of This Nofo Including Capacity Building at the Local and Regional Levels or Contracted Support; Establishing, Operating, or Increasing Capacity of a Broadband Office That Oversees Broadband Programs and Broadband Deployment in an Eligible Entity.expected Outcomes: The Expected Outcomes of the Applicant's Proposed Project Are an Informed Five-Year Action Plan Through More Prepared and Informed Staff and Partners; and More Precise Assessment of the Impact of the Barriers to Accessing Reliable Broadband Service. The Specific Outcomes of the Proposed Activities Are: A More Precise Assessment of the Actual Barriers Residents Are Facing That Impact Their Ability to Access Reliable Broadband Service; to Provide Education and Assistance to Communities Wishing to Communicate Their Broadband Needs; to Provide Education and Assistance to Potential Subgrantees; a Better Informed and Prepared Staff and Partners to Comply with Bead Requirements; Greater Capacity and the Creation of a More Comprehensive Five-Year Action Plan, as Well as Future Project Deliverables Creation of an Asset Inventory; and a More Holistic Representation of Residents Issues.intended Beneficiaries: The Intended Beneficiaries Are Unserved and Underserved Groups in the State of Iowa with a Focus on Rural and Unserved Populations.subrecipient Activities: The Recipient Does Not Intend to Intend to Subaward Funds.