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: 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; Conducting Surveys of Unserved, Underserved, and Underrepresented Communities to Better Understand Barriers to Adoption; 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; 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; Asset Mapping Across the Eligible Entity to Catalogue Broadband Adoption, Affordability, Equity, Access and Deployment Activities Occurring Within the Eligible Entity; and Reasonable Post-Nofo, Pre-Award Expenses <$100,000 Relating to Preparation of Program Submissions or Adding Additional Capacity in Preparation for Bead Program. Expected Outcomes: The Outcomes of Alabama's Proposed Project, "the Alabama Broadband Equity Access and Deployment Program 5-YEAR Action Plan," Includes Creating a Comprehensive Five-Year Action Plan That Will Identify Alabama's Broadband Access, Affordability, Equity, and Adoption Needs; Serve as a Benchmark for Adopting Strategies, Goals, and Initial Measures for Connecting All Residents of Alabama with Reliable Broadband Service; and Ensuring All Residents of Alabama Have Access to Reliable, Affordable, and High-Speed Internet. More Specifically, Outcomes Include More Precise Assessment of Barriers to Access of Reliable Broadband Service; Developing a Budget to Getter Gauge Activity Progress and Measure Activity Completion; Creation of an Asset Inventory; and a More Holistic Representation of Alabama's Barriers to Broadband Adoption. Intended Beneficiaries: The Intended Beneficiaries Are Unserved and Underserved Groups in the State of Alabama with a Focus on Rural and Unserved Populations.subrecipient Activities: The Recipient Does Not Intend to Subaward Funds.