Next Level Connections Broadband Grant Program now accepting challenges
The Next Level Connections Broadband Grant program challenge period is now open. This phase serves as an opportunity for existing providers to offer comments and feedback on proposed project areas submitted by applicants.
If a provider is already providing eligible broadband service as defined in the application, or has the ability to verify plans to provide service by February 2022, then a provider may challenge all or a portion of a proposed service area. The challenge must include documentation illustrating that the existing area has service availability at or above the minimum actual speed of 10/1 Mbps, and provide information if the census block is completely or partially served. The challenge must also identify the broadband speed(s) that are, or will be available.
On this website, you will find two documents needed for an eligible challenge:
- an Excel table containing two tabs; the first being the full list of all census blocks proposed with duplicates removed, and the second containing the blocks proposed by a particular project;
- a PDF with the control number for the application, organization name, project title and brief abstract for every proposed project that is eligible to submit a full application.
Challengers will need to submit one challenge for every census block(s) and corresponding address level data they are challenging, rather than challenging by individual application. All challenges must be received by OCRA by 3 p.m. ET, March 9, 2020. Challenges received after the deadline will not be accepted.
As a reminder, a Q&A document is available and continually updated as we receive questions sent to nlc@ocra.in.gov.
Under the leadership
of Lieutenant Governor Suzanne Crouch, who also serves as the Secretary of Rural
Development, the Indiana Office of Community and Rural Affairs’ (OCRA) mission
is to work with local, state and national partners to provide resources and
technical assistance to assist communities in shaping and achieving their
vision for community and economic development. For more information, visit
ocra.in.gov.
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