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Arizona Broadband Advisory Committee (ABAC)
The U.S. Congress has appropriated $7.2 billion to develop broadband in
the U.S. for unserved and underserved areas.
This funding includes grants for broadband infrastructure, computer
centers, and sustainable projects that promote broadband use. The first
round of the grant funding is in progress with grant awards expected to
be announced in November 2009. Second and third rounds of federal
broadband grants will be completed by the end of 2010.
Governors have been asked by the federal government to provide advice
and suggested priorities for broadband grant applications in their
respective state. Approximately 107 grant requests have been made for
Arizona in the first round of funding.
In response, the Arizona Broadband Advisory Committee (ABAC) has been
formed to provide expertise and advice to the Arizona Governor’s office
on broadband grant applications. ABAC consists of a representative from
ten different state agencies, with the Government Information Technology
Agency (GITA) serving as the lead agency and its Director and State CIO
Chad Kirkpatrick serving as chairman.
Governor Jan Brewer will consider the information and advice of ABAC
before forwarding her final recommendations to the U.S. Department of
Commerce’s National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA).
Broadband grants are being awarded by two federal agencies: The U.S.
Department of Agriculture’s Rural Utility Services (RUS) Broadband
Initiatives Program (BIP) and the NTIA Broadband Technology
Opportunities Program (BTOP). The federal broadband grant legislation
provides for the Governors to formally provide advice on the BTOP
program.
For additional information on the federal broadband grant program see
the website broadbandusa.gov. To view the broadband and other federal
grant awards received by Arizona go to Governor Brewer’s Office of
Economic Recovery website at
http://az.gov/recovery/.
Last updated:
04/09/2010 |
Advisory Committee Members:
Chad Kirkpatrick – Government Information Technology Agency –
Chairman
Tom Betlach – Arizona Health Care Cost Containment System
Tom Branham – Department of Transportation
Cheryl Bowen – Department of Homeland Security
Fred Estrella – Chief Information Technology Officer – Northern
Arizona University
Jerry Ewing – Department of Commerce
David Gilbert – Department of Health Services
Hector Virgen – Department of Administration
Cathy Poplin – Department of Education
Kevin Rogers – Department of Public Safety
Gene Trobia – State Land Department
Public Meeting Announcements
Arizona Broadband Advisory Committee (ABAC)
Second Round NTIA Broadband Grant Applications
Thursday, April 15 – 9:00 – 12:00 p.m.
Open meeting - To hear from public and grant applicants
Carnegie Center - (Old Carnegie Library)
1101 W. Washington,
Phoenix, AZ 85007
Second Round NTIA Broadband Grant Applications
Monday, April 19 – 3:00 – 4:00 p.m.
Open Meeting – To announce results of ABAC
Arizona State Library - (Old State Capitol Building)
1700 W. Washington, Suite 200
Phoenix, AZ 85007
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