2017-16154. Community Broadband Workshop

AGENCY:

National Telecommunications and Information Administration, U.S. Department of Commerce.

ACTION:

Notice of Open Meeting.

SUMMARY:

The National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA), through the BroadbandUSA program, will hold a Technical Assistance Workshop to share information and help communities build their broadband capacity and utilization. The workshop will present in-depth sessions on planning and funding broadband infrastructure projects. The session on planning will explore effective business and partnership models. The session on funding will explore available funding options and models, including federal funding.

DATES:

The Technical Assistance Workshop will be held on Tuesday, September 19, 2017, from 8:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m., Eastern Daylight Time.

ADDRESSES:

The meeting will be held in Charleston, West Virginia at the Law Firm of Jackson Kelly PLLC, 500 Lee Street East, Suite 1600, Rooms A and B, Charleston, WV 25301.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

Giselle Sanders, National Telecommunications and Information Administration, U.S. Department of Commerce, Room 4889, 1401 Constitution Avenue, NW., Washington, DC 20230; telephone: [phone]; email: [e-mail]. Please direct media inquiries to NTIA's Office of Public Affairs, [phone]; email: [e-mail].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

NTIA's BroadbandUSA program provides expert advice and field-proven tools for assessing broadband adoption, planning new infrastructure, and engaging a wide range of partners in broadband projects. BroadbandUSA convenes workshops on a regular basis to bring stakeholders together to discuss ways to improve broadband policies, share best practices, and connect communities to other federal agencies and funding sources for the purpose of expanding broadband infrastructure and adoption throughout America's communities. The Charleston workshop will explore two specific topics for broadband infrastructure: Planning and funding.

The Charleston workshop will feature subject matter experts from NTIA's BroadbandUSA broadband program. The first session will explore key elements required for planning successful broadband projects. The second session will explore funding models, including federal programs that fund broadband infrastructure projects.

The Charleston workshop will be open to the public. Pre-registration is requested, and space is limited. NTIA will ask registrants to provide their first and last names and email addresses for both registration purposes and to receive any updates on the workshop. If capacity for the meeting is reached, NTIA will maintain a waiting list and will inform those on the waiting list if space becomes available. Meeting updates, changes in the agenda, if any, and relevant documents will also be available on NTIA's Web site at https://www2.ntia.doc.gov/​notice-09192017-workshop.

The public meeting is physically accessible to people with disabilities. Individuals requiring accommodations, such as language interpretation or other ancillary aids, are asked to notify Giselle Sanders at the contact information listed above at least five (5) business days before the meeting.

Dated: July 27, 2017.

Kathy D. Smith,

Chief Counsel, National Telecommunications and Information Administration.