Local Agency Technical Assistance (LATA) Grantees:
Our Broadband Caseworker team is available to help support grantees in completing and submitting Federal Funding Account (FFA) applications in advance of the September 29, 2023, at 4 p.m. pacific daylight time deadline.
Recently, the California Department of Technology announced changes to the build-out schedule of the statewide middle mile network (Phase I and Phase II). We understand these changes may impact some applicants who are planning applications based on previous designs. Given the short timeframe for incorporating essential middle mile components into FFA applications, we are offering some options for applicants to consider:
A. We recommend that applicants who are unable to fully adjust their plans to add in the additional essential middle mile components by the September 29, 2023, deadline, proceed with submitting the application using the original state Middle Mile location.
- In evaluating the FFA applications we will engage with applicants to provide guidance in solving for any segments needed to reach Phase 1 of the state middle mile.
B. Reach out for assistance in updating or modifying your Federal Funding Account applications to reach Phase 1 of the state middle mile. Caseworkers can be reached at: BroadbandCaseworkers@cpuc.ca.gov. Applicants can consider the updates to an application by using commercially available middle mile, building middle mile, or some mix of the two.
We hope this helps alleviate some of the concerns of applicants who have been working so diligently on their FFA applications. Our CPUC team looks forward to reviewing your applications and working with you to find solutions to challenges these recent changes may have raised.
CPUC Caseworkers Team