COVID Update June 7, 2021

Events and Webinars

June 7th: Arizona Lighting Up The Future - The Desert Goes Digital: The Availability Gap Virtual Workshop
June 9, 2021: Schools, Health and Libraries Broadband Coalition E-rate Emergency Connectivity Fund Special Online Workshop
June 9 & July 14 Arizona Broadband Workshops: June 9 Tribal Broadband; July 14 Broadband Adoption and Use - The Secret To Sustainable Networks; Other Recorded Webinars
June 9, 10, 16, 17, 23, 24: NTIA Broadband Grants Webinars
June 14 Deadline: USDA Applications for Distance Learning and Telemedicine Grants
July 19, November 8 2021Telemedicine Training Programs
August 31: Rural Development Finance Webinar: Council of Development Finance Agencies
August 4-6: Arizona Rural Policy Forum: Local First Arizona & Arizona Rural Development Council

See Details Below

Special Online Workshop: E-rate Emergency Connectivity Fund
June 9, 2021: 1:00 to 4:00 p.m. ET- 10:00 Arizona
SHLB - Schools, Health and Libraries Broadband Coalition
Information and Registration

Jessica Rosenworcel, Acting Chairwoman of the Federal Communications Commission, key architect of the ECF rules, will kick off the workshop with words of wisdom about the program.

The Federal Communications Commission recently announced the rules to apply for the E-rate Emergency Connectivity Fund (ECF), an historic opportunity for schools and libraries to connect students and patrons to home broadband. Unlike traditional E-rate funding, the $7 billion ECF program will allow schools and libraries to pay for off-campus connectivity and internet-enabled devices, such as laptops and tablets. Any school or library seeking funding from this program will need to digest a host of new rules in a flash due to the very tight application windows.

The SHLB Coalition’s ECF workshop will provide schools, libraries, and vendors with the essential strategies and information needed to submit successful funding applications.

Arizona Lighting Up The Future - The Desert Goes Digital
The Availability Gap Virtual Workshop
June 7th: 4:00-5:00p.m. MT Zoom Link: https://asu.zoom.us/j/850703623 43
Info and Registration Here
Mirroring the national trend, Arizona’s broadband is unevenly distributed. Many with population centers totaling a ~250k residents have little or no broadband at all. What can we do as changemakers to increase access to broadband and close this gap? Join the Institute for Digital Progress, Arizona State University, Arizona Commerce Authority, Sun Corridor Network and a coalition of changemakers to address vital changes needed to the infrastructure. In this virtual roundtable, collaborate with local changemakers to advance a range of policy options and resource investments to assure that all geographic areas and population centers have robust broadband capacity.
Info and Registration Here

Arizona Broadband Workshops

June 9, 10:00 am - 12:00 pm: Tribal Broadband
July 14 10 a.m. - 12 pm: Broadband Adoption and Use - The Secret To Sustainable Networks
Other Recorded Webinars

Arizona Broadband Workshops Website
The Arizona Commerce Authority, in cooperation with BroadbandUSA, the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) and the U.S. Department of Commerce's National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) and Economic Development Administration (EDA) is presenting a new webinar series — the Arizona Broadband Workshops. Sessions will be offered on the first Wednesday of every month from 10 am to 12 pm, March through July. Through interactive exercises and discussions, city officials, economic developers and business leaders who attend will be connected with resources to build a roadmap for planning projects, including identifying funding opportunities and service providers.

Tribal Broadband: This Session Specific To Tribal Communities - Invitation Only. 10 a.m. - 12 p.m., Wednesday, June 9 on Zoom
Arizona is prioritizing critical broadband projects in underserved tribal locations across the state. In this session, the Kristine FireThunder, director of the Governor’s Office on Tribal Relations, will facilitate a discussion on strategies to build tribally-owned networks and further support tribal learning centers and digital training, including information on available financing and funding, community resources and more.
Broadband Adoption and Use - The Secret To Sustainable Networks: 10 a.m. - 12 p.m., Wednesday, July 14 on Zoom
This session will draw from national and local models to explore new ways to bridge the digital divide and dive deep on topics such as: digital skills training, WiFi hotspots, broadband subsidies and tech mentoring. Practitioners in education, nonprofits and more will facilitate exercises to identify your community’s underserved segments and partners to reach those populations. REGISTER

Past Webinar Recordings

Broadband 101 - Broadband As A Foundation To Economic Development: Join us for the first session in the Arizona Broadband Workshop series, featuring a variety of experts from the Governor's Office on Tribal Relations, BroadbandUSA and local experts. Learn about broadband terms, networks, and speed, and hear from others in your community about how broadband is transforming education, healthcare, agriculture and our economy. Then roll up your sleeves and complete exercises to help you identify the priorities that impact broadband in your community. WATCH
Creating Broadband Action Teams and Building Local Partnerships: Arizona has worked collaboratively with public and private partners to coordinate broadband planning across the state. In this session, learn how to create a roadmap for your community’s broadband projects as you build a framework for community priorities, stakeholder engagement, asset inventories and more. WATCH
Using Data As A Foundation For Your Broadband Plan: May 5: Online Soon
Open public data is readily available to jumpstart your broadband planning efforts. The key is understanding how to use the data effectively to tell your community story. Experts from BroadbandUSA will review the three main broadband data sets and demonstrate tools that you’ll be able to use to access the data for planning, business cases, partnership development, and grant applications.
Federal Resources and Local Support For Broadband: June 2. Online Soon: Broadband projects often require a mix of investment sources. Our panel of experts will highlight some of the Federal, State, local, and philanthropic programs that could be available to support broadband infrastructure and digital inclusion programs.

Arizona Commerce Authority Broadband Website
More info about these Workshops: Arizona Broadband Workshops Website

NTIA Broadband Grants Webinars

Wednesday, June 9, 2021 - 2:30 PM NTIA Grant Program: Broadband Infrastructure Webinar, Session 3a. Join NTIA staff on June 9, 2021 to hear more about NTIA's Broadband Infrastructure Deployment Grants Program.
Thursday, June 10, 2021 - 2:30 PM NTIA Grant Program: Broadband Infrastructure Webinar, Session 3b. Join NTIA staff on June 10, 2021 to hear more about NTIA's Broadband Infrastructure Deployment Grants Program.
Wednesday, June 16, 2021 - 2:30 PM NTIA Grant Program: Tribal Broadband Connectivity Webinar, Session 3a. Join NTIA staff on June 16, 2021 to hear more about NTIA's Tribal Broadband Connectivity Grants Program.
Thursday, June 17, 2021 - 2:30 PM NTIA Grant Program: Tribal Broadband Connectivity Webinar, Session 3b. Join NTIA staff on June 17, 2021 to hear more about NTIA's Tribal Broadband Connectivity Grants Program.
Wednesday, June 23, 2021 - 2:30 PM NTIA Grant Program: Connecting Minority Communities Webinar, Session 3a. Join NTIA staff on June 23, 2021 to hear more about NTIA's Connecting Minority Communities Pilot Program.
Thursday, June 24, 2021 - 2:30 PM NTIA Grant Program: Connecting Minority Communities Webinar, Session 3b. Join NTIA staff on June 24, 2021 to hear more about NTIA's Connecting Minority Communities Pilot Program.

Telemedicine Training Programs
July 19, November 8 2021
Information and Registration
The Arizona Telemedicine Training Program and the Southwest Telehealth Resource Center offers 1-day training courses on telemedicine and telehealth. There are two tracks offered throughout the year; 1) Developing a Telemedicine Program and 2) Telemedicine Applications. ATP's staff and colleagues, many of whom are national experts in telehealth, distance education and the business of telemedicine, teach both tracks. The Arizona Telemedicine Training Program is accredited by the American Telemedicine Association. Advanced Registration is required to attend ATP training courses.

TRACK 1: Developing a Telemedicine Program January 11, May 24, September 13 2021 - This conference gives a broad overview of a variety of telemedicine topics. This course is excellent for individuals or groups who have some telehealth experience and are interested in expanding their services. It is also a great course for those new to telehealth who are interested in gaining a deeper understanding of this growing industry.
TRACK 2: Telemedicine Applications March 15, July 19, November 8 2021 - This conference covers advanced telemedicine topics through an in-depth look at real-world clinical applications of telemedicine and telehealth. This course is excellent for individuals or groups who have some telehealth experience and are interested in expanding their services. It is also a great course for those new to telehealth who are interested in gaining a deeper understanding of this growing industry.

Information and Registration

USDA Applications for Distance Learning and Telemedicine Grants
The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) today announced that it is accepting applications for Distance Learning and Telemedicine (DLT) program grants to help provide educational and medical services in rural areas. June 14 Deadline
Read the full stakeholder announcement here.

Rural Development Finance Webinar
Council of Development Finance Agencies
August 31 CDFA Rural Development Finance Webinar Series: March 23, June 1, August 31 | Webinar Series The Council of Development Finance Agencies offers a series on financing options to preserve rural communities, investments in health care, broadband, manufacturing, food systems and education.
CDFA Rural Development Finance Webinar Series

Arizona Rural Policy Forum: Local First Arizona & AZ Rural Development Council
August 4-6, 2021
Sahuarita, AZ
We are are excited to bring back the Rural Policy Forum (In Person!) in August. Join us, along with over 250 rural leaders and stakeholders, for capacity-building sessions, receptions, hands-on workshops, and keynote presentations. Our goal is to share strategies from national experts as well as learn about success stories around Arizona that will give our rural leaders the tools, resources, and relationships they need to face current challenges. Interested in getting involved in the conversation?

Tickets and Information

News And Resources

NTIA $288 Million Broadband Infrastructure Grants
$7.171 billion Emergency Connectivity Fund - What is it?
Great News! Arizona Passes Legislation To Expand Broadband In Arizona
AZ Department Of Education $12 million to support Student Equity and Achievement Including Broadband
Local First Arizona Arizona Economic Recovery Center - Grants Info
USDA Rural Development Innovation Center funding opportunities, events and resources
ASU American Indian Policy Institute
Utility Commissioners Broadband Task Force Draft Broadband Recommendations
Consortium for School Networking study on students’ at-home Internet connectivity
Broadband Breakfast Club Weekly Newsletter and Online Events
Three AARP Articles: Tech Resources for Seniors including Training and and Help to Get or Upgrade Computers and Internet Access
Arizona And FCC EBB Emergency Broadband Benefits Program Campaign

NTIA $288 Million Broadband Infrastructure Grants
The U.S. Department of Commerce’s National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) announced the availability of $288 million in grant funding for the deployment of broadband infrastructure. Grants will be awarded to partnerships between a state, or political subdivisions of a state, and providers of fixed broadband service. NTIA’s Broadband Infrastructure Program was established by the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2021.

More information about the program, including requirements for grant applications, can be found in the Notice of Funding Opportunity published today on grants.gov.

NTIA will accept applications for projects that are designed to:

Provide broadband service to the greatest number of households in an eligible service area;
Provide broadband service to rural areas;
Be most cost-effective in providing broadband service; or
Provide broadband service with a download speed of at least 100 Mbps and an upload speed of at least 20 Mbps.

NTIA will group applications based on the priority above that each application addresses, and will sequence its review of application groups in the statutory order listed above.
“NTIA has built durable partnerships with the states through our State Broadband Leaders Network, and with local governments and their broadband initiatives through our technical assistance offerings and other efforts,” said Acting NTIA Administrator Evelyn Remaley. “We are eager to put these relationships to work to ensure a successful program that expands broadband infrastructure in communities that need it most.”

NTIA is also holding a series of webinars to further inform the public about the program. The next Broadband Infrastructure webinars will be held on June 9 and 10.

$7.171 billion Emergency Connectivity Fund - What is it?
See SHLB - Schools, Health and Libraries Broadband Coalition Special June 9 Online Workshop
To help schools and libraries provide devices and Internet connectivity to students, school staff, and library patrons during the pandemic, Congress established a $7.171 billion Emergency Connectivity Fund as part of the recently enacted American Rescue Plan Act of 2021. The Federal Communications Commission is now defining the rules to distribute the new funds to eligible schools and libraries for the purchase of eligible equipment and advanced telecommunications and information services for use by students, school staff, and library patrons at locations other than a school or library—primarily to homes.

Is this an E-Rate program?
No, it isn’t the same as E-Rate. The fund is going to be administered by the Universal Service Administrative Company (USAC) - the same entity that administers the E-Rate program for schools and libraries. While there are some commonalities between the two programs it is important to remember that the Emergency Connectivity Fund is not E-Rate and it will be its own program with its own rules, regulations and processes.

What are the rules?
The rules, regulations and processes are not fully defined yet.

What will it fund?
For eligible schools and libraries, this will provide funding (and reimbursement) for advanced telecommunications and information services and equipment including Wi-Fi hotspots, modems, routers, devices that combine a modem and router, and connected devices. These funds can be used in competitive procurements or to reimburse eligible expenses dating back to January 27th, 2020. It is also worth noting that the funds from this program will remain available until September 30th, 2030.

See Benton Institute For Broadband For Society Emergency Connectivity Fund Overview Here

Great News! Arizona Passes Legislation To Expand Broadband In Arizona
Arizona passes House Bill 2596 aimed at expanding broadband access in Arizona that will help Arizonans living in rural and tribal areas gain access to fast, affordable and reliable internet. House Bill 2596:

Allows private broadband providers to install, operate and maintain telecommunications equipment within the Arizona Department of Transportation’s (ADOT) rights-of-way.
Allows ADOT to grant access to its own broadband conduit to private telecommunications companies in a non-exclusive and non-discriminatory manner — reducing the cost of installing rural broadband infrastructure.
Creates the “Smart Highway Trust Fund” to deposit leasing revenues generated from the use of ADOT rights-of-way, which are to be used for operation and maintenance of telecommunications facilities within ADOT’s rights-of-way.

AZ Department Of Education $12 million to support Student Equity and Achievement
The Arizona Department of Education has allocated an additional $12 million in federal recovery dollars to support Student Equity and Achievement throughout Arizona. Allocations were made in the following areas:

Student Equity & Achievement
Educator Recruitment & Retention
Safe & Healthy Schools
Serving Arizona School Communities through the Pandemic & Beyond
Post-Secondary Access & Attainment
Additional Relief Funding to Public Schools

Includes $853k – Laptop and Hotspot Partnership with City of Phoenix; $1.5 Million – Expanding Rural Broadband with the Final Mile Project; $15k – Kajeet Hotspots for Students & Families;
See Details Here

Local First Arizona Arizona Economic Recovery Center - Grants Info
Local First Economic Recovery Center
The Arizona Economic Recovery Center aims to enable more qualified Arizona cities, towns, counties, and nonprofits to win competitive federal, state, and foundation grants. Qualifying communities:

Meet the definition of Rural as defined by the Arizona Commerce Authority, or be in LMI urban census tracts
Do not have a dedicated staff for development
Are interested in applying for work that supports a regional or local strategic plan
Have a proposed application that includes at least 3 partnering organizations
Have an idea that can be initiated before 2023

An initiative of Local First Arizona, the center serves communities statewide by:

Researching and simplifying grants and stimulus opportunities
Identifying funding sources for large and small projects
Connecting funding sources to communities in need of funding
Providing the capacity for grant writing, facilitation, and project management to ensure success rates for qualifying communities and nonprofits.

Local First Economic Recovery Center

USDA Rural Development Innovation Center
The following information was extracted from the USDA Rural Development Innovation Center Innovation Matters Newsletter that provides a listing of funding opportunities, events and resources in rural America. Join the mailing list to receive Innovation Matters from the USDA Rural Development Innovation Center.

COVID-19 Federal Rural Resource Guide To access programs that can be used to provide immediate and long-term assistance to rural communities affected by the COVID-19 outbreak, download the COVID-19 Federal Rural Resource Guide.

ASU American Indian Policy Institute
ASU American Indian Policy Institute Tribal Broadband Resources

AIPI is a think-tank with a primary focus on public policy analysis and research. We have expertise in telecommunications, communications, broadband, digital inclusion, technology for language retention, and technology as the backbone for community and economic development, and communications technology. We disseminate our work via outcomes to be disseminated in policy briefs, newsletters, lectured, conference presentations, and white papers.

ASU has a resource at the Center for Policy Informatics that includes a portal for information on broadband issues, data collection and broadband research: General Broadband Research Data Repository

Utility Commissioners Broadband Task Force Draft Broadband Recommendations
A task force made up of state public service commissioners for utility services released a set of draft recommendations to help coordinate and facilitate the closing of gaps in broadband service nationwide. The National Association of Regulatory Utility Commissioners (NARUC) Broadband Expansion Task Force, published draft recommendations that focus on:

Improving broadband mapping
Enhancing broadband program coordination Ensuring broadband providers meet their obligations
Supporting non-traditional providers
Adopting broadband

More Info Here.

Consortium for School Networking study on students’ at-home Internet connectivity
CoSN, the Consortium for School Networking, released a report on the preliminary findings of a breakthrough study on students’ at-home internet connectivity and provided guidelines on bandwidth, devices and other remote learning needs based on the data. The study, supported by a grant from the Chan Zuckerberg Initiative (CZI), fills a critical need among educators and policymakers for detailed insight on students’ learning experiences at home during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Thirteen K-12 urban, suburban and rural school districts from across the United States with approximately 750,000 students participated in the six-week study, securely sharing information on internet usage, latency, and performance from network filter logs and video conferencing solutions. The resulting findings will guide school district technology leaders across the United States working to improve online learning equity.

Broadband Breakfast Club Weekly Newsletter and Online Events
You may want to sign-up for the Broadband Breakfast Club newsletter with lots of great info about broadband and digital access. Subscribe to their twice-weekly newsletter and visit their Broadband Breakfast Live Online event every Wednesday at 12 Noon ET.

Three AARP Articles: Tech Resources for Seniors including Training and and Help to Get or Upgrade Computers and Internet Access

Article 1 AARP Emergency Broadband Benefits Program: AARP has long worked for low-cost internet solutions for older Americans, who need high-speed broadband for teleworking, medical and health-related information and news, online health-care consultations with doctors and nurses, and interacting with loved ones and friends, especially during the COVID-19 pandemic. See Article Here
Article 2 Technology Skills Training. Senior Planet and its parent organization, Older Adults Technology Services (OATS), a nonprofit organization that specializes in teaching technology skills to older adults, is uniting with AARP to offer its courses to even more older adults nationwide — for free. AARP is collaborating with OATS to expand its offerings and make them known to a wider audience through AARP’s new Virtual Community Center. Senior Planet programs are designed to teach adults 60 and older basic and advanced computer skills. Its interactive online classes, offered in English, Spanish and Chinese, are free to anyone of any age. About 50 classes are on the schedule each week. The relationship with AARP allows both organizations to help more people learn the computer skills they need now more than ever because so many activities and events are available only online. AARP has two places to sign up for free online classes and workshops: Senior Planet’s upcoming events and AARP’s Virtual Community Center See the Article Here
Article 3 Devices and Internet Access Resources: This Article provides info and links to resources for seniors that offer free personal computers or tablets or discounted internet access. City governments, nonprofits and communications companies across the country are stepping up to remedy the deficiencies in technology. Pockets of seniors in many communities are using new laptops or tablets with free internet and training, courtesy of partnerships aimed at averting the ill effects of isolation. See the Article Here

EBB Partner Request Email Template .docx
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AZBSN COVID-19 Digital Access Task Force
Events, Resources & Updates June 7, 2021

Table of Contents - See Details Below

News, Resources and Events

Events and Webinars

News And Resources

Arizona And FCC EBB Emergency Broadband Benefits Program Campaign

602-254-5887

AZBSN COVID-19 Digital Access ​Task ForceEvents, Resources & Updates June 7, 2021

Table of Contents - See Details Below

News, Resources and Events

Events and Webinars

News And Resources

Arizona And FCC EBB Emergency Broadband Benefits Program Campaign

602-254-5887

AZBSN COVID-19 Digital Access Task Force
Events, Resources & Updates June 7, 2021