[Federal Register Volume 74, Number 158 (Tuesday, August 18, 2009)]
[Notices]
[Page 41676]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E9-19750]


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DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

Rural Utilities Service

RIN 0572-ZA01

DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

National Telecommunications and Information Administration

RIN 0660-ZA28


Broadband Initiatives Program; Broadband Technology Opportunities 
Program

AGENCY: Rural Utilities Service (RUS), Department of Agriculture, and 
National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA), 
Department of Commerce.

ACTION: Notice of Funds Availability; extension of application closing 
deadline for pending electronic applications.

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SUMMARY: RUS and NTIA announce that the application closing deadline 
for the Broadband Initiatives Program (BIP) and the Broadband 
Technology Opportunities Program (BTOP) is extended until 5 p.m. 
Eastern Time (ET) on August 20, 2009, for any electronic applications 
pending as of 5 p.m. ET on August 14, 2009. There are no changes to the 
filing instructions for paper applications.

DATES: An applicant that is submitting an application for the BIP and 
BTOP electronically will be permitted to complete electronic submission 
of its application until 5 p.m. ET on August 20, 2009, so long as its 
application was pending in the Easygrants[reg] System as of 5 p.m. ET 
on August 14, 2009 (application closing deadline).

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: For general inquiries regarding BIP, 
contact David J. Villano, Assistant Administrator Telecommunications 
Program, Rural Utilities Service, e-mail: <a href="/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#21434851615645420f545245400f464e57"><span class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="f6949f86b6819295d883859297d8919980">[email protected]</span></a>, telephone: 
(202) 690-0525. For general inquiries regarding BTOP, contact Anthony 
Wilhelm, Deputy Associate Administrator, Infrastructure Division, 
Office of Telecommunications and Information Applications, National 
Telecommunications and Information Administration, e-mail: 
<a href="/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#aeccdac1deeec0dac7cf80cac1cd80c9c1d8"><span class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="4f2d3b203f0f213b262e612b202c61282039">[email protected]</span></a>, telephone: (202) 482-2048.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: On July 9, 2009, RUS and NTIA published a 
Notice of Funds Availability (NOFA) and Solicitation of Applications in 
the Federal Register announcing general policy and application 
procedures for the BIP and BTOP. 74 FR 33104 (2009). In the NOFA, RUS 
and NTIA encouraged all applicants to submit their applications 
electronically and required that certain applications be filed 
electronically through an online application system at http://www.broadbandusa.gov. 74 FR at 33118. RUS and NTIA established an 
application window for these grant programs from July 14, 2009, at 8 
a.m. ET through August 14, 2009, at 5 p.m. ET (application closing 
deadline).
    Over the last several days, the online application system 
(Easygrants[reg] System) has experienced service delays due to the 
volume of activity from potential applicants. The agencies have added 
additional servers to address these capacity issues. Nevertheless, in 
an effort to give applicants that have already started the electronic 
application submission process prior to the application closing 
deadline an opportunity to complete the submission of those 
applications, RUS and NTIA announce that an applicant with an 
application pending in the Easygrants[reg] System as of 5 p.m. ET on 
August 14, 2009, will be given until 5 p.m. ET on August 20, 2009, to 
complete the electronic submission of its application. Please note that 
an applicant must have completed the following steps, at a minimum, to 
be recognized as having a pending application in the Easygrants[reg] 
System:
    1. Log into the Easygrants[reg] System at www.broadbandusa.gov;
    2. Select ``Start a new application'' under ``Apply for a new 
grant/loan;''
    3. Select one of the two choices for available funding 
opportunities;
    4. Select ``Continue;'' and
    5. Select ``ok'' when prompted ``Are you sure you want to apply for 
the program.''
    All other requirements for electronic submissions set forth in the 
NOFA remain unchanged. There are no changes to the filing instructions, 
requirements, or application deadline for paper submissions.

    Dated: August 13, 2009.
Jonathan Adelstein,
Administrator, Rural Utilities Service.
Anna M. Gomez,
Acting Assistant Secretary for Communications and Information, National 
Telecommunications and Information Administration.
[FR Doc. E9-19750 Filed 8-13-09; 4:15 pm]
BILLING CODE P


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