Current through Register Vol. 50, No. 9, September 20, 2024
A. An applicant may
submit one application with multiple service providers if the applicant can
demonstrate how the providers are collaborating to achieve universal coverage
for the unserved location or area.
B. An applicant may submit an application
with support from more than one unit of local government.
C. Units of local government may endorse
multiple applications with different service providers and may include project
areas that cross jurisdictional boundaries.
1.
Units of local government that provide letters of support, matching funds, or
in-kind contributions to any application should provide the same, on a
percentage basis relative to matching funds and in-kind contributions, to all
applications proposing the use of like technologies in identical unserved areas
with access provided to the exact number of prospective broadband recipients
within its jurisdiction. Should multiple applications propose to serve unserved
areas within its jurisdiction and include the use of unlike technologies,
differing unserved areas, or a non-analogous number of prospective broadband
recipients to be served, as compared against other applications, a local
government may use reasonable judgement and reserve the right to determine its
level of support, to include letters of support, matching funds, or in-kind
contributions, on an application-by-application basis. A unit of local
government that provides differing levels of support, to include letters of
support, matching funds, or in-kind contributions, to differing applicants
proposing one or more projects within its jurisdiction shall provide an
explanation to the office, at the office's request, as to why the local
government's differing levels of support do not present an unreasonable or
undue preference or advantage to itself or to any provider of broadband
service. If, in the opinion of the office, differing levels of support by a
unit of local government for differing applications presents an undue or
unreasonable preference or advantage to itself or to any provider of broadband
service, the office may disqualify from grant funding consideration any
application or project area within the jurisdiction of the unit of local
government.
D. An
applicant may apply for one contiguous project area or multiple non-contiguous
project areas
AUTHORITY NOTE:
Promulgated in accordance with R.S. 51:2370-2370.16.
