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The American Recovery and Investment plan allocates $7.2 billion to improve broadband and technology service applications. If Mohave County is proactive, it will be able to receive some of the $7.2 billion the government will be distributing nationwide.
Frontier is applying for grants available within The American Recovery and Investment Plan to enhance the services we provide to Mohave County. In addition to grants we are proactively applying for, we are interested in partnering with businesses and organizations to apply jointly for other grants, and we would be happy to counsel any Mohave County organization that has questions about how to apply for these grants or needs any other assistance in the application process. We are committed to the Mohave County community and want to make sure that we can leverage these grants to improve the communications infrastructure and help drive our local economy at the same time.
Specific information on the grants continues to come from the two sources of funding, the USDA (US Department of Agriculture) and the NTIA (National Telecommunications and Information Administration), as the application process is being defined. At this point, we know that schools, hospitals, non-profit foundations, corporations, institutions and associations are eligible. Projects are evaluated based on the market being underserved or unserved by broadband technology, and if it enhances service for health care, education and children and whether the applicant is a “socially” and economically disadvantaged small business.
The act does say that the goal is to get as much broadband to as many users as possible. We expect more specific information to be released in the coming weeks with the grant recipients being announced in May.
Broadband allows more information to be transmitted in a given amount of time, and the American Recovery and Investment Plan grant money will improve broadband programs in public computer centers. It will also expand broadband capabilities for public safety (police and fire departments, 911) communications and hospitals. Distance learning will be strengthened, making it easier for students to learn from a remote location by using electronic communication, and telemedicine, where medical information is transferred via the Internet, will be enhanced. Additionally, the government will expand broadband coverage to areas that spur economic development and create jobs, which I believe is a perfect fit for Mohave County, which is committed to economic development.
If you have more questions about the American Recovery and Investment Plan, go to http://www.recovery.gov. If you would like Frontier’s help in applying for a grant, e-mail me at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it .
If you have any technology questions in general, feel free to contact Lynne Petersen from Frontier Communications at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it or log on to www.frontieronline.com.
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