RELIANCE ON STATE DESIRES RECOMMENDED IN FEDERAL BROADBAND GRANTS

摘要

Those making federal broadband grants "should take recommendations from the state agency responsible for broadband issues," said Rachelle Chong, a member of California's Public Utility Commission and a former FCC commissioner. "This agency probably has strong opinions about where the unserved areas are, and what speeds are appropriate for those areas. Broadband mapping should be a high priority to avoid fraud, waste and abuse of these funds. I suggest they look hard at the criterion and weighting that was used in our current California program. Grants should be technology neutral. There should also be a monitoring process to ensure the grant money is spent as proposed." Chong suggested that access-speed requirements set by the NTIA and the RUS take into account current and desired capabilities.