Klobuchar Eyeing 2017 Broadband Infrastructure Funding Opportunities

vein. “I’m really excited for the election to be over, so we can work on this,” said Klobuchar, a co-chairwoman of the caucus. Sen. Shelley Moore Capito, R-W.Va., and other caucus co-chairs Angus King, I-Maine, and John Boozman, R-Ark., also spoke at the event. NTIA Associate Administrator Doug Kinkoph said the broadband stimulus grants of the Obama administration are “nearing the end” of their lifetime. Grant recipients were “very successful,” he said, also citing the importance of the open access requirements: “Our job’s not done.” He said the administration’s Broadband Opportunity Council is helpful in “breaking down” silos among federal agencies and said some agencies are “restricted by current authorizing language,” perhaps needing changes. “There’s considerable legwork that needs to be done,” Kinkoph said of the value of partnerships in addressing broadband through such stimulus projects. “You need a champion in the community.” FCC Wireline Bureau Deputy Chief Carol Mattey noted the agency’s “really good relationship” with the Rural Utilities Service, located physically close to commission headquarters. She said she briefed RUS staffers after major relevant FCC actions, such as this year’s rate of return overhaul: “We do a lot of coordination.” There’s a memorandum of understanding with RUS “that allows us to share proprietary information,” which the FCC and RUS does, Mattey said. Cooperative Finance Corp. Senior Vice President Robin Reed lauded broadband as “great at retaining population” for rural communities, especially younger residents. She cited a shift in telecom spending in recent years and said the FCC 2011 USF order “caused companies to defer investment in infrastructure," which she hopes will change soon. CEO Shirley Bloomfield noted NTCA’s attention to gigabit speeds and Google Fiber: “Who knew that a rural telecom company can be cool and sexy? But they can be.”