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How will broadband affect burgeoning controversies over health care? The answers to this question and more came courtesy of a Broadband Cenus-hosted, hour-long panel discussion. View a video of the discussion.
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President Obama on Innovation and Sustainable Growth. President Barack Obama has new plans to strengthen the economy that will all favor people with hi-tech educations.
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Elevate Miami, a comprehensive Digital Inclusion program launched by the city of Miami, aims to serve youth, low-income families, minorities, seniors and residents facing barriers to digital inclusion.
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By pushing hard on broadband, lawmakers hope to close the "digital divide" that has long separated rural America. In doing so, they hope to give rural consumers access to the same sorts of high-speed services and opportunities - think telemedicine, distance-learning and Web-based commerce - that city dwellers have enjoyed for years.
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Posts Tagged ‘PDF files’
Thursday, September 3rd, 2009
 With the deadlines for the first round of broadband stimulus funding finally past, applicants for Round 2 can now anticipate the NOFA out … well, hold on a minute.
Rumors, hopes, or predictions that the Round 2 NOFA would be coming in September flies in the face of what we at the Knight Center of Digital Excellence have been told.
We know what the BTOP “Quarterly Program Status Report” to Congress released Aug. 17 stated, at least in terms of the first round BTOP schedule:
| Application/Award Step |
Timeline |
| Applications reviewed |
NOW |
| Due Diligence Review and State Consultation |
Sept. 14, 2009 - Oct. 15, 2009 |
| All BTOP Funds Awarded |
Sept. 30, 2010 |
However, as of Sept. 1, BroadbandUSA officials pointed out to us that the software problem encountered by many applicants when creating and storing PDFs is still a major one. Attachments associated with more than 1,000 applications still can’t be viewed. According to the agency, developers are working on the issue and are hoping to finally resolve the problem this week.
Which means the review process for first-round applications has not begun. When it is initiated, BroadbandUSA said reviewers would have direct access into the system itself (so they will not be dependent upon the PDF version). As of now, there is no other way to get a copy of the application, an issue that is causing worry and starting to put the agency under significant pressure.
| Application/Award Step |
Timeline |
| Round Two BTOP Request for Information (RFI) |
Fall 2009 |
| Round Two BTOP NOFA Released |
Winter 2009 |
| Begin Announcing First Round of BTOP Awards |
November 2009 |
| Round Three BTOP RFI Released |
Winter/Spring 2010 |
| Round Three BTOP NOFA Released |
Spring 2010 |
The answer is: We really can’t say quite yet – and neither can anyone else, even the RUS and NTIA. A source close to the process recently told the Knight Center, “The [RUS and NTIA] are still not decided about the timing on Round 2, and are still evaluating whether to have a large, later Round 2 and no Round 3, or to do two smaller rounds, with a NOFA this fall. There’s also still no decision on whether to have a comment period. It’s a lot of uncertainty.”
So what can be done in the meantime? As David Villano, assistant administrator of the Telecommunications Program at RUS, mentioned in the Knight Center’s “Stimulus: Where we’ve been, where we (should be) going and predictions,” agencies plan to seek seek input from the public on how we can improve the process for Round 2. If you have concerns or suggestions, plan on finding a way to make sure your voice is heard.
Also, just as the RUS and NTIA are looking to learn from their Round 1 experiences, so should you. Rethink your Round 1 applications in anticipation of challenges or changes that may need to be made. Take some time to organize your research files so that you’re ready for any potential application challenges. Don’t wait for the “winter” NOFA release – start gathering your research now, as Round 1 has taught us what type of data your application will need.
Be sure to follow the Knight Center blog for major stimulus updates as they’re released. If you have questions, e-mail us at info@knightcenter.org.
Tags: American Recovery & Reinvestment Act 2009, BIP, broadband, Broadband Expansion, Broadband Initiatives Program, Broadband Technology Opportunities Program, BroadbandUSA, BTOP, David Villano, Internet, Knight Center of Digital Excellence, NOFA, Notice of Funding Availability, NTIA, PDF files, Quarterly Program Status Report, RUS, stimulus, stimulus watch
Posted in ARRA, Digital news, NTIA, RUS, Stimulus Package | 1 Comment »
Monday, August 17th, 2009
As the Knight Center of Digital Excellence has previously written, many broadband stimulus applicants have run into a few technical road bumps while working to meet submission deadlines. (“Stimulus submission software glitches prompt an extension in electronic submission closing deadline”)
However, a few suggestions recently posted on BroadbandUSA may help applicants avoid some of those major software glitches while making the process more efficient for each other:
• Decrease generation of PDFs: Problems applicants were having in creating and storing PDFs proved to be a major reason why the system was getting bogged down last week. To reduce lag time, BroadbandUSA suggests applicants avoid creating PDFs while still working through the application, only doing so once the application is finished (or if creating a PDF is absolutely necessary).
According to BroadbandUSA, “when you upload a file, the system converts the file to PDF format for storage. This is causing a system bottleneck in an effort to convert the high volume of files we are receiving. That is the reason you often cannot view the file immediately after upload. The upload worked but the file is in the conversion queue. The number of files in the conversion queue will impact how long it takes before your file is converted.”
• Convert files yourself: While BroadbandUSA states, “We have more than doubled the server capacity to handle the spike in traffic, and are currently improving the processing power of our application to reduce system latency,” avoid being part of the bottleneck problem and convert your files to PDF format before uploading anything. Don’t have the software to do this? Don’t know how? There are a variety of free and easy-to-use products you can download or use online. Search for “free pdf convertor” or “convert to pdf.”
• Submit attachments once: Clicking the “upload” button more than once will not upload your files faster. With most online applications, this actually resets the process.
• Submit applications early and during non-business hours: BroadbandUSA suggests applicants submit application materials before the Aug. 20 deadline and after 8 p.m. (EST). To be safe, we recommend that you have your application completed by Wednesday (Aug. 19).
These are some simple tips BroadbandUSA offered to help its system run more efficiently, help you speed your application processing and ensure all applications are filed by the deadline. Keep in mind that if you have further questions, BroadbandUSA has extended its help desk hours this week and will operate from 9 a.m. to 8 p.m.
Also be sure to pay attention to additional clarifying messages that have been posted throughout the step-by-step application process to help applicants navigate the process successfully.
Tags: BIP, Broadband Initiatives Program, Broadband Technology Opportunities Program, BroadbandUSA, BTOP, Internet, KCoDE, Knight Center of Digital Excellence, network, NTIA, PDF files, RUS, stimulus, stimulus watch
Posted in Digital news, Stimulus Package, broadband | No Comments »
Thursday, August 13th, 2009
Go ahead and take your finger off the “panic” button. It was just announced the application closing deadline for the Broadband Initiatives Program (BIP) and Broadband Technology Opportunities Program (BTOP) is extended until Aug. 20 at 5 p.m. (EDT) for any electronic applications pending as of Aug. 14 at 5 p.m. (EDT). Meaning, applicants that have already begun the submission of their proposal prior to Aug. 14 at 5 p.m. (EDT) are permitted to EXTEND THE COMPLETION of their application submission until Aug. 20 at 5 p.m. NOTE: There will be NO CHANGES to the filing instructions for paper applications.
The news comes as a major relief for the many organizations that were running into some significant technical road bumps while working overtime to meet the original electronic submission deadline for the first round of broadband stimulus funding. And we’re not talking about road bumps in the way of collecting data or figuring out the proper procedures for answering certain questions.
We’re simply talking about submission.
Today the Knight Center of Digital Excellence spoke with officials that pointed out the software used by the government to accept applications has at least one major glitch – it won’t store submitted PDF files as it was designed to do.
It’s no secret an application requires significant expense in the way of both time and money as the work to get one together is so resource intensive – perhaps significantly more than the government originally anticipated. The broadband infrastructure grants application alone asks 56 questions, many of which are complex and require an applicant to file supporting documents. To make matters more complicated, a 46-page RUS loan document that needs to be reviewed but not submitted (to see if you qualify for funding) was added to the BroadbandUSA website last night.
Needless to say, there are plenty of hurdles to overcome. But the major one – whether applicants can get their proposals in before a system-wide crash – seems to have been addressed.
Before the week started, the Knight Center of Digital Excellence had heard many applicants planned on submitting as early as Tuesday to avoid a potential Friday crash. That may have been the smart way to go, as it seems the system has gotten considerably slower as the week has gone on due to more individuals logging on to work on their applications.
However, the news of an extension for pending applications is good news for applicants. But remember: The deadline for paper submissions has NOT changed and remains Aug. 14 at 5 p.m. (EDT)
Tags: American Recovery & Reinvestment Act 2009, BIP, broadband, Broadband Initiatives Program, Broadband Technology Opportunities Program, BroadbandUSA, BTOP, digital, Internet, KCoDE, Knight Center of Digital Excellence, NTIA, PDF files, RUS, stimulus, stimulus watch
Posted in ARRA, Digital news, Knight Center of Digital Excellence, Stimulus Package, broadband | No Comments »
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