I participated in the Southwest Alaska Municipal Conference (SWAMC) Summit on 3/3/22 in Anchorage, AK on the Broadband Internet Connectivity Panel on behalf of Grant Management Associates (GMA). I delivered this brief Broadband Funding Presentation to kick off the panel discussion. The SlideShare version also incorporates a two page broadband funding summary at the end.
1. Presented By Mark Goldstein, Broadband Associate
Grant Management Associates (GMA)
mgoldstein@grantmanagementassoc.com
Presentation Available at http://www.slideshare.net/markgirc
Southwest Alaska Municipal Conference
Economic Summit & Membership Meeting
Broadband Internet Connectivity for Southwest Alaska
March 3, 2022 at 2:30 PM AKST
https://www.grantmanagementassoc.com/
https://swamc.org/2022-conference/
2. • Kristin Cooper Carter: 25+ years grant experience,
former engineering professor, entrepreneur, multiple
grant related certifications. Created GMA in 2009.
• GMA has raised over $500M in grant funds for our
over 200 clients and we have an approximately 88%
success rate.
• 27 grant associates nationwide and growing, with
diverse technical specialties including broadband,
energy, transportation, health, and much more.
• In response to the increase in broadband funding
GMA has created a team of experienced broadband
grant writers and specialists. GMA recently
completed $60 million in broadband grants.
Visit our Website for more background on our firm and capabilities.
About Grant Management Associates (GMA)
3. U.S. Federal & State Broadband Infrastructure Funding Opps
Source: Mark Goldstein, International Research Center on behalf of Tarana Wireless (https://www.taranawireless.com/)
4. States & Communities Broadband Use of CARES & ARPA Funds
• In March 2020, the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic
Security (CARES) Act, a $2.2 trillion economic stimulus bill was
enacted, followed by the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) with
another $1.9 trillion in economic stimulus in March 2021.
• Though targeted to a variety of specific purposes, states and
communities have significant discretion in program development and
funding with many having committed substantial CARES and ARPA
funding to broadband projects and purposes.
• Most States, Tribes, and communities have made discretionary
allocations from these funds to finance specific broadband initiatives
and projects. Many States have also as established or recapitalized
broadband infrastructure and digital equity grant programs. Leftover
CARES funds may be used by to offset matching requirements
under some of the new broadband funding programs.
• Brookings Institute (https://www.brookings.edu/interactives/arpa-
investment-tracker/) & ILSR’s Community Networks
(https://muninetworks.org/) maintain online lists of ARPA funded state
and community broadband initiatives and projects.
5. U.S. Treasury Capital Projects Fund
https://home.treasury.gov/policy-issues/coronavirus
https://home.treasury.gov/policy-issues/coronavirus/assistance-
for-state-local-and-tribal-governments/capital-projects-fund
Contact: Tribal.Consult@treasury.gov
7. An Additional $53B in State Block Grants for Broadband Coming
With Alaska State Government’s Share Estimated at $1B or More
● The U.S. Treasury’s Coronavirus Capital Projects Fund (CCPF) provides $10B of
COVID-19 Economic Relief allocating $106-540M to each State, Puerto Rico, and DC, as
well as $100M to each territory, and up to $167,524 to each Tribe to carry out critical capital
projects that directly enable work, education, and health monitoring, including Broadband
Infrastructure, Digital Connectivity Technology, and Multi-Purpose Community Facilities.
Alaska’s CCPF allocation is $111,803,893 and the State needs to submit their detailed
plans for the use of these funds by mid-year, leading to the State’s ability to roll out massive
new broadband initiatives and programs starting in mid to late 2022.
● The State of Alaska will rely on the recent Governor’s Task Force on Broadband
(https://gov.alaska.gov/home/broadband/) Report, likely State legislative guidance, and the
anticipated formation of a new Broadband Office with the associated authority, processes,
and staff to administer and leverage this influx of federal funds. Then the State can
strategically fund and manage designated broadband infrastructure and digital equity
projects, as well as launch a competitive broadband infrastructure grant program for
projects in priority unserved and underserved areas at speeds of ≥100/20 Mbps.
● The recently enacted Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA) at a total of $1.2T
includes some $65B in direct broadband allocations in its Broadband Equity, Access and
Deployment (BEAD) Program including $42.45B for State block grants likely to roll out
from NTIA to the States starting late 2022 or early 2023. The State of Alaska could receive
upwards of a $1B more to fund additional projects and recapitalize their grant program(s).
● IIJA will deliver additional broadband infrastructure and digital equity funding through the
NTIA Tribal Connectivity Program ($2B), the USDA ReConnect Loan and Grant
Program, a new NTIA Broadband Middle Mile Infrastructure Program ($1B), digital
inclusion initiatives, end user broadband benefits, and private activity bonds.
12. Vertical Assets: Towers, Monopoles,
Streetlights, Buildings/Structures & Aerial
Next-Gen Wireless Deployment Model
Microwave
Point to Point
Wi-Fi 6E
(IEEE 802.11ax)
White Space
(IEEE 802.11af)
LPWAN for
IoT/IIoT Data
Deliver backhaul to remote tower facilities
and broadband directly to end users over
great distances using licensed, lightly
licensed & unlicensed frequencies
Deliver Wi-Fi 6E to nearby CPE and mobile
devices using unlicensed frequencies as well
as meshing with nearby nodes for wider
spread public & private regional coverage
Deliver broadband over long distances (60+
miles) non-line-of-site (NLOS) over lightly
licensed 470-790 MHz former TV spectrum
Collect data with Low-Power Wide-Area
Networks (LPWAN) over V2X, LoRaWAN,
Sigfox, NB-IoT, HaLow &/or LTE Cat M1
Edge & Cloud Services
Source: International Research Center 2021
Cellular
Colocation
Enable expanded 4G/5G/6G cellular coverage
and densification including consumer voice
and data with agile cognitive radio devices,
FirstNet for public safety, C-V2X & IoT/IIoT
CBRS
Citizens Broadband Radio Service (CBRS) for
next generation services including LTE-type
mobile over lightly licensed 3.5 GHz spectrum
LEO,
MEO,
& GEO
Satellites
https://www.slideshare.net/markgirc/
13. Broadband Investor Costs and Benefits Calculations
Source: Blair Levin 2013
https://www.brookings.edu/experts/blair-levin/
How Do You Change the Math and Improve the ROI?
14. Presented By Mark Goldstein, Broadband Associate
Grant Management Associates (GMA)
mgoldstein@grantmanagementassoc.com
Presentation Available at http://www.slideshare.net/markgirc
Southwest Alaska Municipal Conference
Economic Summit & Membership Meeting
Broadband Internet Connectivity for Southwest Alaska
March 3, 2022 at 2:30 PM AKST
https://www.grantmanagementassoc.com/
https://swamc.org/2022-conference/
15. U.S. Federal Broadband Infrastructure Funding Opportunities Summary
The pandemic has brought with it a historic wave of federal recovery funding for economic stimulus and
infrastructure investment, with a tsunami of new broadband funding in the pipeline to the States,
territories, and Tribes as well as directly to community and provider projects. These current and
emerging broadband infrastructure grant funding opportunities (complemented by digital equity program
funding) include:
• In March 2020, the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act was signed into law,
the third major legislative initiative to address COVID-19 following the Coronavirus Preparedness and
Response Supplemental Appropriations Act and the Families First Coronavirus Response Act
(FFCRA) and providing $2 trillion in funds for state use to address the pandemic including the $150B
Coronavirus Relief Fund (CRF) for state, local, and tribal government use. Though targeted to a variety of
specific purposes, there is significant discretion in program development and funding with many having
committed substantial amounts to broadband projects and purposes funding specific designated projects
as well as establish broadband infrastructure and digital equity grant programs. Leftover CARES funds
may be used by states to offset matching requirements under some of the new broadband funding
programs.
• The $1.9 trillion American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 (ARPA) includes hundreds of billions of dollars that
may be used for broadband initiatives by state, local, and tribal governments including initiatives for
communities, schools, and public libraries. Most states had allocated portions of their ARPA funds for
specific designated broadband projects and infrastructure grants. The U.S. Treasury stipulates that state
broadband investments must be made in areas that are currently unserved or underserved funding
16. broadband infrastructure that deliver high performance, scalable, reliable services at 100 Mbps download
and 100 Mbps upload (100/100 Mbps) speeds or greater, unless impracticable due to topography,
geography or financial cost. Brookings Institute’s Local Government ARPA Investment Tracker
(https://www.brookings.edu/interactives/arpa-investment-tracker/) & Community Networks
(https://muninetworks.org/) maintains online information on ARPA funded state and community broadband
initiatives and projects.
• The USDA ReConnect Grant Program currently in Round 3 provides funds for the costs of construction,
improvement, or acquisition of facilities and equipment needed to provide broadband service to rural areas
without sufficient broadband access. ReConnect can accommodate larger, multi community deployment
opportunities, though with significant matching obligations. $1.15B is available for grants, loans, and
combo funding with applications due by March 9, 2022. Sources indicate a ReConnect Round 4 will
launch in late 2022. See https://www.usda.gov/reconnect
• The USDA Community Connect Grant Program is anticipated to reinitiate an additional funding round in
April 2022. Grants are for up to $3M requiring ≥15% matching and are limited to a single contiguous area
thus good for smaller, single community projects. See https://www.rd.usda.gov/programs-
services/community-connect-grants
• The NTIA Tribal Broadband Connectivity Program (TBCP) recently closed a $980M application window
on September 1, 2021, but the recently enacted Infrastructure Bill has allocated an additional $2B likely to
roll out quite soon due to being an established program and protocols. TBCP provides up to $50M funding
to eligible tribal entities for broadband infrastructure deployment projects, including construction of middle
mile and last mile networks and interconnection, as well as up to $2.5M for broadband affordability
programs, digital inclusion and adoption efforts. Cost sharing or matching funds are not required and a
provider subgrantee may own and operate the resultant infrastructure. See
https://broadbandusa.ntia.doc.gov/resources/grant-programs/tribal-broadband-connectivity-program
• The ’ v ( ) provides $10 billion of Covid-19
Economic Relief allocating $106-540M to each state, Puerto Rico, and DC, as well as $100M to each
territory and up to $167,524 to each Tribe to carry out critical capital projects that directly enable work,
education, and health monitoring, including remote options for Broadband Infrastructure (prioritizing
investment in ≥100/100 Mbps fiber projects), Digital Connectivity Technology, and Multi-Purpose
Community Facilities. States, territories, and Tribes need submit their requests for their allocations then
their plans and will roll out grant programs and projects starting in 2022. See
https://home.treasury.gov/policy-issues/coronavirus/assistance-for-state-local-and-tribal-
governments/capital-projects-fund
• The recently enacted Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act includes some $65B in direct broadband
allocations in its Broadband Equity, Access and Deployment (BEAD) Program including $42.45B to
state block grants likely to roll out through NTIA starting 2H 2022 primarily as state designated projects or
competitively awarded subgrants to projects in priority unserved areas (≥ 80% of households lacking 25/3
Mbps service) followed by underserved areas (≥ 80% of households lacking 100/20 Mbps service)
broadband availability. See https://www.ntia.doc.gov/category/grants
• BEAD also funds a new NTIA Middle Mile Program with $1B for projects providing high-speed backbone
for communities, businesses, and anchor institutions with a focus on increasing redundancy/reliability and
improving affordability starting 2H 2022 and requiring 30% matching funds. NCTA & ACA Connects will
maintain a BEAD Implementation Tracker as regional programs roll out.
• The ’ v ( ) has current
funding opportunities with $3B provided the agency in ARPA. Funds are available through six distinct
challenges, with separate goals and application processes/deadlines for each, several of which are
appropriate for broadband purposes as one form of supported community infrastructure and programs
investment. See https://eda.gov/programs/eda-programs/
Credit: Authored by Mark Goldstein, International Research Center (http://researchedge.com/)
on behalf of Tarana Wireless (https://www.taranawireless.com/) (V01G)