CTC Technology recently posted an article that is a Preliminary Guidance For New USDA Rural Broadband Funding Opportunity…

Earlier this year, Congress made the first major appropriation for broadband infrastructure deployment in a decade. The following is our preliminary high-level analysis and strategic guidance for counties, towns, states, and public utilities regarding that funding—the e-Connectivity Pilot—a U.S Department of Agriculture program that will fund last-mile broadband infrastructure deployment in rural areas.[1]

In short, we anticipate that substantial funding for last-mile rural broadband will be made available early in 2019, and that experienced public ISPs, as well as collaborative public-private efforts, will be well positioned to compete for these funds.

USDA has not yet released the detailed rules for the program, so most of what we know about the e-Connectivity Pilot is very preliminary and based on RUS’s public statements and its track record with other broadband programs.

If you are considering applying for the new funding, the time to prepare is now, in anticipation of an application deadline in early 2019.

I won’t post the whole article, which includes checklists of things to consider, but if you are in a position where you might be seeking federal funding, I highly recommend checking it out.