Neb. PSC Hiring, Mapping for Coming Broadband Dollars
The Nebraska Public Service Commission is preparing for the NTIA broadband, equity, access and deployment (BEAD) program, after receiving planning funds, Chair Dan Watermeier (R) told state senators Tuesday. The Nebraska Senate Transportation and Telecommunications Committee heard updates on state broadband and 911 upgrade efforts at a livestreamed hearing. Earlier that day, PSC commissioners opened a docket to administer Coronavirus Capital Projects Fund (CPF) broadband support through the Nebraska Broadband Bridge Program (NBBP).
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With about $5 million from NTIA for BEAD planning (see 2211170032), the Nebraska PSC is hiring broadband-specific positions and will develop a five-year action plan over the next eight months, Watermeier told the Senate committee. The PSC is engaging a vendor to develop a state map and is working on ways to challenge the FCC’s national map, he said. The new FCC map is “a little bit better” than the old Form 477 map, but still has many holes, Watermeier said. The state map won’t be ready before the Jan. 13 challenge deadline, though Watermeier thinks the federal agency will extend the date due to much pushback from states, he said.
“I have no answer for that question,” said NTIA’s Nebraska Broadband Program Specialist Tom Rolfes in response to committee Chairperson Curt Friesen (R) asking about the federal agency possibly extending the challenge deadline.
Nebraska legislators should consider alternative funding for the state’s precision agriculture program in the next session, Watermeier said. Legislators had tagged BEAD dollars for the program, but Watermeier said BEAD funding may be used only for broadband connectivity, not more agriculture-related applications that are also part of the state program, he said.
All Nebraska 911 centers will be connected within six months to a next-generation 911 emergency services IP network (ESInet), if all testing goes according to plan, Nebraska PSC State 911 Director David Sankey told the Senate committee. The current 70 cents per-connection surcharge provides enough funding for now, said Sankey. Many 911 centers face staffing issues and consolidation looks to continue, said the director: Some centers are looking into whether others can handle their overnight calls.
Nebraska PSC commissioners voted 5-0 at a livestreamed meeting earlier Tuesday for an order to distribute CPF dollars through the NBBP. The Nebraska PSC will make application materials public Jan. 10 for the first CPF-funded cycle, said the order in docket CPF-1. Applications will be due Feb. 24 and the PSC will issue awards June 20, it said. “The Commission recognizes the pressing need for broadband deployment funding in Nebraska and wishes to expedite the grant award process to the greatest extent possible.”
State law requires at least $40 million apiece for the first and third congressional districts for broadband infrastructure projects, said the order. “Projects located within District 3 must be awarded to projects in cities of the second class and villages.” CPF support must be spent by Dec. 31, 2026, the PSC noted. Since NBBP projects must be completed in 18 months, the PSC plans to complete all awards in CPF-funded NBBP cycles by Dec. 31, 2024, at latest, it said. The agency plans to hold at least two such cycles to ensure all funding can be awarded, it said.