Timelines

Within a year of the enactment of the ARRA, the NTIA must provide a report to Congress detailing a national broadband plan.

The NTIA and RUS must award funds under the ARRA by September 30, 2010. The NTIA projects must be completed within two years of the awards; RUS projects have typically run on a three-year timeline, although it has not yet been determined if this will apply to ARRA projects.

In order to meet these tight deadlines, the NTIA and RUS are moving quickly to define their programs. Part of this effort involves engaging in a series of public meetings.

Meetings
Broadband Grant Programs Meetings at NTIA start Monday, March 2. [These meetings are being scheduled as roundtables, the only practical way to accommodate the overwhelming response.]
http://www.ntia.doc.gov/frnotices/2009/broadbandmeetings_090224.pdf

Joint public meeting of The Department of Commerce, The Department of Agriculture, and the Federal Communications Commission on ARRA Broadband Initiatives:
Tuesday, March 10, 2009, 10:00 to 11:30a.m.
http://www.ntia.doc.gov/frnotices/2009/March10meeting_090227.pdf

A series of six public meetings will continue through March, in Washington and around the country, as announced by Dr. Bernadette McGuire-Rivera of the NTIA during the March 10 meeting. All meetings will be streamed live on the Internet. Topics to be announced. Times and locations may change.
http://www.ntia.doc.gov/frnotices/2009/FR_BTOP_RFI_090312.pdf

March 16      Washington, DC                  Department of Commerce
March 17      Las Vegas, NV                     TBA
March 18      Flagstaff, AZ                        TBA
March 19      Washington, DC                  Department of Commerce
March 23      Washington, DC                  Department of Commerce
March 24      Washington, DC                  Department of Commerce

Grant Applications

The NTIA plans to solicit grant proposals in three tranches, in roughly the following timeframes:

I     April-June     2009
II    Oct-Dec       2009
III  April-June     2010

It is yet to be determined what the relative weighting of funds available in each tranche might be, or what the mix of project types might be for each.

The USDA may solicit proposals in a similar manner. The USDA will publish notice of funding within 60 days of the public comment period. The notice of funding will lay out eligibility, scoring, etc.

The agencies wish to start disbursing funds as soon as possible, in order to uphold the intent of congress to rapidly initiate stimulus to the economy.