<div dir="ltr"><br><br><div class="gmail_quote"><div dir="ltr" class="gmail_attr">---------- Forwarded message ---------<br>From: <strong class="gmail_sendername" dir="auto">WISPA</strong> <span dir="auto"><<a href="mailto:sschwerbel@wispa.org">sschwerbel@wispa.org</a>></span><br>Date: Mon, Apr 10, 2023 at 8:51 AM<br>Subject: Urgent - Help WISPA Address California's BEAD Plans<br>To: Dave Taht <<a href="mailto:dave.taht@gmail.com">dave.taht@gmail.com</a>><br></div><br><br><div class="msg-8008576111202562779">
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Dave,
<br><br>
<p>As
you may have seen, the California Public Utilities Commission has begun its discussion of how to write its BEAD rules
by releasing an <a href="https://members.wispa.org/ct.php?lid=198739649&mm=73901165771" target="_blank">Order Instituting
Rulemaking</a> (OIR). The OIR asks 14 questions about how the program should be structured: the responses they receive
will help shape the CPUC’s final BEAD rules.<br>
<br>
Since the BEAD NOFO was released last year,
WISPA has actively engaged both the federal and state policymakers who will be influencing the final BEAD rules. To
continue that advocacy, WISPA will be submitting comments in response to the CPUC’s OIR to highlight the needs
and contributions of our members across the state.<br>
<br>
<strong>To do that, we would like your input on
several questions in the OIR. </strong>Please send me your thoughts on the following questions <strong>by COB tomorrow
(April 11)</strong>:</p>
<div style="margin-left:40px"><br>
<strong>OIR Question 2: </strong>Geographic Level. The
(BEAD) Notice of Funding Opportunity gives flexibility to states to solicit proposals from prospective subgrantees at
the geographic level of their choosing—for example, on a per-location basis, per-census block basis, per-town,
per-county or another geographic unit. States may alternatively solicit proposals for project areas they define or ask
prospective subgrantees to define their own proposed project areas. What is the best, or most appropriate, geographic
level for subgrantee proposals?<br>
<br>
<strong>OIR Question 3: </strong>Overlapping Project Areas. What
mechanism should be used for overlapping proposals to allow for a like-to-like comparison of competing proposals?<br>
<br>
<strong>OIR Question 4: </strong>Selection Among Priority Broadband Projects. In addition to the
Primary Criteria and Secondary Criterion required in the Notice of Funding Opportunity, which additional
prioritization factors should be considered? How should they each be measured, and should they be weighted in
prioritization?<br>
<br>
<strong>OIR Question 5: </strong>Selection Among Other Last-Mile Broadband
Deployment Projects. In addition to the Primary Criteria and Secondary Criteria required in the Notice of Funding
Opportunity, which Additional Prioritization Factors should be considered? How should they each be measured, and
should they be weighted in prioritization?<br>
<br>
<strong>OIR Question 7: </strong>Match Requirement. The
IIJA expressly provides that matching funds for the BEAD Program may come from federal regional government entities
and from funds that were provided to an Eligible Entity or a subgrantee for the purpose of deploying broadband service
under the Families First Coronavirus Response Act, the CARES Act, the Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2021, or the
American Rescue Plan Act of 2021, to the extent permitted by those laws. What state funding should also be allowed to
be used as matching funds?<br>
<br>
<strong>OIR Question 11:</strong> Grant Applications. How many
application cycles should there be in a calendar year?</div>
<br>
<br>
Your insight into these
questions will help WISPA draft comments that represent the fullest picture or our members’ needs across the
state. Please consider taking a moment to share your thoughts.<br>
<br>
<br>
Thank you,<br>
<br>
Steven Schwerbel
<br><br>
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<br>Message sent by Steve Schwerbel, <a style="color:inherit;text-decoration:underline" href="mailto:sschwerbel@wispa.org" target="_blank">sschwerbel@wispa.org</a>
<br>WISPA | 200 Massachusetts Ave NW | Suite 700 | Washington, DC 20001<br><br> <br><a href="http://www.viethconsulting.com" target="_blank"><img border="0" valign="bottom" align="center" src="cid:1876be088e79426a861"></a>
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</div></div><br clear="all"><div><br></div><span class="gmail_signature_prefix">-- </span><br><div dir="ltr" class="gmail_signature" data-smartmail="gmail_signature"><div dir="ltr"><div>AMA March 31: <a href="https://www.broadband.io/c/broadband-grant-events/dave-taht" target="_blank">https://www.broadband.io/c/broadband-grant-events/dave-taht</a></div><div>Dave Täht CEO, TekLibre, LLC<br></div></div></div></div>