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Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance

Program Descriptions

11.550:  Public Telecommunications Facilities: Planning and Construction

Popular Name:  PTFP

Objectives:  To assist in the planning, acquisition, installation and modernization of public telecommunications facilities, through planning grants and matching construction grants, in order to: a) extend delivery of public telecommunications services to as many citizens of the United States and territories as possible by the most efficient and economical means, including the use of broadcast and nonbroadcast technologies; b) increase public telecommunications services and facilities available to, operated by and owned by minorities and women; and c) strengthen the capability of existing public television and radio stations to provide public telecommunications service to the public.

PROGRAM AND AWARD	FINANCIAL AND INFORMATION CONTACTS
ELIGIBILITY REQUIREMENTS	FINANCIAL AND ADMINISTRATIVE INFO.
APPLICATION AND AWARD PROCESS	INFORMATION CONTACTS
RELATED PROGRAMS	ASSISTANCE CONSIDERATIONS
PROGRAM ACCOMPLISHMENTS	POST ASSISTANCE REQUIREMENTS

11.550 ELIGIBILITY REQUIREMENTS:

11.550 APPLICATION AND AWARD PROCESS:

Preapplication Coordination:  Program staff members are available to provide technical and other assistance in preparing application forms. This program is eligible for coverage under E.O.12372, "Intergovernmental Review of Federal Programs." An applicant should consult the office or official designated as the single point of contact in his or her State for more information on the process the State requires to be followed in applying for assistance, if the State has selected the program for review. Applicants must coordinate their project plans with the State educational television, radio, or telecommunications agency and must file an application with the FCC if an FCC authorization is required for the proposed project. Applicants must show evidence of participation in comprehensive planning in the area to be served including an evaluation of alternate technologies. If an environmental impact statement or assessment is required by any Federal, State, or local agency, a copy must be submitted by the applicants.

Application Procedure:  The application forms as furnished by the Federal Agency and approved by OMB must be used for this program. The Application Kit can be requested from the Agency or retrieved from the web-site at www.ntia.doc.gov. Applicants must file by the deadline, a completed PTFP Application Form, Project Narrative, Project Budget forms, relevant exhibits, CD-511, CD 346, SF 424B, SF LLL. Applicants must notify where applicable the State Telecommunications Agency, State Single Point of Contact, and the Federal Communications Commission. Applications postmarked or received after the deadline are returned to applicants.

Award Procedure:  Applications are reviewed on the basis of funding criteria for construction and planning applications as set forth in the regulations. The Administrator of NTIA may select an application for funding, in whole or in part, and will notify the applicant, the relevant State agency, the FCC, and the Corporation for Public Broadcasting.

Deadlines:  The Administrator of NTIA shall select and publish in the Federal Register the date by which new applications and reactivation requests for deferred applications must be filed in order to be considered for funding in the current fiscal year. For fiscal year 2000 consideration, the deadline for filing an application was February 17, 2000.

Range of Approval/Disapproval Time:  Awards for the current fiscal year are generally announced in 180 days. Applications received by NTIA remain eligible for funding consideration until withdrawn or returned.

Appeals:  Applicants may appeal determinations of ineligibility for funding to the Administrator of NTIA, as set forth in the regulations.

Renewals:  Applications that are not funded may be reactivated upon request of the applicant during the two consecutive years following the applicant's initial receipt by the agency, as provided by program regulations.

Criteria for Selecting Proposals:  In order to achieve the objectives of Section 393 of the Communications Act, the Administrator, in determining whether to approve a construction grant application in whole or in part and the amount of such grant, or whether to defer action on such an application, will consider: The projects conformance with priorities, and funding criteria set forth in the Act and the PTFP Rules and Regulations.

Examples of Funded Projects:  To activate a new noncommercial FM radio station on 88.5 MHz, in Owyhee, Nevada. The new station will carry the signal of KNBA-FM, Anchorage, Alaska, and programming from the American Indian Radio on Satellite (AIROS) network. These programs will be delivered via satellite. Initially the station will have 4 hours/day of local programming. New station will provide a first noncommercial FM service to about 1,550 Native Americans. To convert public station KCET-TV, Channel 28 in Los Angeles, CA, to digital broadcasting on Channel 59 by purchasing a transmitter, antenna, transmission line, STL, encoder and test equipment. The station serves a population of over 18 million people. To expand the distance learning service provided by National Technological University (NTU), by converting 41 universities with MPEG-2 digital encoding equipment at their satellite uplinks and by placing such equipment at the NTU headquarters in Ft. Collins, CO. Conversion of the NTU system to MPEG-2 digital equipment will permit NTU to provide distance learning directly to small business and home viewers through the use of 90 cm antennas and standard digital equipment.

Range and Average of Financial Assistance:  $5,538 to $1,028,450; $221,650.

11.550 RELATED PROGRAMS:

• 84.203 Star Schools;
• 11.552 Technology Opportunities.

11.550 PROGRAM ACCOMPLISHMENTS:

11.550 FINANCIAL AND ADMINISTRATIVE INFO:

Federal Agency:  NATIONAL TELECOMMUNICATIONS AND INFORMATION ADMINISTRATION, DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

Type of Assistance:  Project Grants.

Obligations:  (Grants) FY 99 $23,590,769; FY 00 est $27,015,000; and FY 01 est $110,075,000.

Budget Account Number:  13-0551-0-1-503.

Authorization:  Communications Act of 1934, Title III, Part IV, 47 U.S.C 390-394, 397-399 (b) as amended, Public Law 87-447, 76 Stat. 64; Commerce, Justice, and State Appropriation Act for Fiscal Year 2000, Public Law 106-113.

Regulations, Guidelines, and Literature:  Public Telecommunications Facilities Program and Policy Statement, Final Rules, 15 CFR 2301 printed in 61 FR 57966 (November 8, 1996). Written request to the Director, Public Telecommunications Facilities Program, will obtain application forms containing regulations, authorizing legislation, and other pertinent materials. Costs will be determined in accordance with OMB Circular Nos. A-21 for institutions of higher education, A-87 for State and local governments, and with A-122 for nonprofit organizations. Grants management will be in accordance with the provisions of OMB Circular No. A-110 for institutions of higher education and other nonprofit organizations and with 15 CFR Part 24 for State and Local Governments.

11.550 INFO CONTACTS:

Regional or Local Office:  None.

Headquarters Office:  Mr. William Cooperman , Director, Public Telecommunications Facilities Program, Office of Telecommunications and Information Applications/NTIA, Room 4625, Department of Commerce, 1401 Constitution Ave., NW., Washington, DC 20230. Phone: (202) 482-5802.

(See Appendix IV for more contact info.)

11.550 ASSISTANCE CONSIDERATIONS:

Formula and Matching Requirements:  47 U.S.C 392 (b) and (c); 15 CFR 2301.6. The Administrator may provide up to 100 percent of the funds necessary for the planning of a public telecommunications facility. The maximum amount of Federal grant for the construction of a public telecommunication facility is 75 percent of the eligible project costs.

Length and Time Phasing of Assistance:  Projects must be completed within a reasonable period of time, generally 1 to 2 years as specified in the award document. Prompt completion is expected. Extensions, however, may be requested in writing if circumstances require additional time. Extensions must be approved by the Grants Officer. Assistance is generally released as required. Note that for fiscal year 2000, NTIA is considering applications that request multi-year funding to convert their facilities to digital broadcasting. The period of performance for these projects may extend up to four years. Funding for each subsequent year of a multi-year award will be at the sole discretion of the Department of Commerce and will depend on satisfactory performance by the recipient and the availability of funds to support the continuation of the project.

Uses and Use Restrictions:  Provides grants for the planning and construction of public telecommunications facilities. Matching grants are given for apparatus necessary for production, dissemination, interconnection, captioning, broadcast, or other distribution of programming and reception of noncommercial educational, cultural radio and television programs, and related noncommercial instructional or informational material. Costs associated with filing for Federal assistance, installation costs, and other pre-operational costs are eligible to be included in requests for matching funds. Buildings and renovations of buildings, land, operational expenses, and indirect costs are ineligible.

11.550 POST ASSISTANCE REQUIREMENTS:

Reports:  During construction, quarterly progress reports must be submitted. The Federal Government maintains a 10-year reversionary interest in the use of the facilities from the date of completion. Annual reports must be submitted before April 1st of each year during such period.

Audits:  Audits will be conducted in accordance with the terms and conditions of the award and OMB Circular No. A-133, Audits of States, Local Governments, and Non-Profit Organizations.

Records:  Recipients of construction grants shall keep a complete and itemized inventory of all public telecommunications facilities under their control. All grantees shall keep complete, current and accessible financial records on all funds associated with the total project. All records of accounts, supporting documents and project records must be retained by the recipient and subrecipient for a period of 3 years from the date of submission of the final Financial Status Report.