0660.0033.SuppStmt.10052010

SUPPORTING STATEMENT

U.S. DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

NATIONAL TELECOMMUNICATIONS AND INFORMATION ADMINISTRATION

BROADBAND-MATCH WEBSITE TOOL

OMB CONTROL NO. 0660-0033

A. JUSTIFICATION

This is a request for extension of a currently approved information collection.

1. Explain the circumstances that make the collection of information necessary.

The Department of Commerce’s National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) and the Department of Agriculture’s Rural Utility Service (RUS) are administering a nearly $7 billion initiative of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (Recovery Act) to expand access to and adoption of broadband services. NTIA is utilizing approximately $4 billion of that funding for its Broadband Technology Opportunities Program (BTOP), to support broadband infrastructure deployment, enhanced and expanded public computer centers, and projects encouraging sustainable adoption of broadband service. To help potential applicants to BTOP and the RUS’ Broadband Initiatives Program (BIP), the agencies developed BroadbandMatch during the second funding round as an online tool for applicants to identify prospective partners with needed expertise and resources to strengthen their BTOP and BIP proposals.

NTIA and RUS concluded their awards by September 30, 2010, as the Recovery Act required. According to grant recipient estimates, the 233 BTOP projects will: 

• Fund the installation or upgrade of approximately 120,000 miles of broadband networks, including fiber-optics, wireless, microwave, and other technologies.  Of this amount, approximately 70,000 miles involve construction of new broadband facilities.

• Provide broadband access to approximately 24,000 community anchor institutions, including schools, libraries, government offices, health care facilities, and public safety entities.

• Deploy middle mile infrastructure in areas with nearly 40 million households and

4 million businesses, many of which will benefit from new or improved broadband service provided by last-mile providers that are able to utilize the new, open infrastructure to extend or upgrade their service for consumer and business customers.

• Invest in more than 3,500 new or upgraded public computer centers in libraries, schools, community centers and other public locations.

• Invest in more than 35,000 new or upgraded public computer workstations.

• Make public computer center workstations and training available to more than 1 million new users.

NTIA desires to facilitate these and other anticipated benefits that grantees propose to realize over the life of their projects, which the Recovery Act requires they substantially complete within two years and fully complete within three years. The long-term success and sustainability of these projects require wide stakeholder support and coordination. Therefore, NTIA intends to continue BroadbandMatch (available at http://match.broadbandusa.gov/BTOPpartners/BPMhome.aspx) as an ongoing resource for communities pursuing broadband projects and programs to advance President Obama’s goal of universal, affordable broadband access for all Americans. The information collected through BroadbandMatch will facilitate collaboration among interested stakeholders such as, for example, BTOP grantees and other broadband project managers seeking to diversify suppliers by including socially and economically disadvantaged small businesses among their vendors. The online tool is also a useful means for businesses, non-profits, and state and local governments, and others to find potential partners to support their broadband initiatives, including alternative funding sources for projects that did not receive Recovery Act awards and additional resources for those projects that did.

Further, BroadbandMatch will complement other Administration efforts to promote ubiquitous broadband deployment and adoption in the United States. Significantly, the Recovery Act obligates NTIA to release publicly by February 2011 a National Broadband Map developed from data the 50 states, territories, and the District of Columbia collected and verified through grants from NTIA’s State Broadband Data and Development Grant Program. The interactive national map will help educate consumers and businesses about broadband availability, enable broadband providers and investors to make better-informed decisions regarding the use of their private capital, and allow federal, state, and local policy-makers to make more data-driven decisions on behalf of their constituents. BroadbandMatch can help community residents and leaders identify interested partners to improve broadband availability and adoption in their localities. Finally, the Federal Communications Commission has released a National Broadband Plan to leverage the Internet to benefit consumers, enhance commerce, and address important public safety and national security priorities. As communities across the country begin implementing the Plan’s recommendations, BroadbandMatch will assist stakeholders to find resources to develop and execute projects in order to accomplish the Administration’s broadband goals.

The tool will collect:

(1) Organization Name;

(2) Point of Contact Name; Telephone Number; Email Address; Organization’s URL;

(3) Organization Type

(4) State(s) in which partners sought;

(5) Type of Key Partner(s) sought; and

(6) Description of Proposed Project.

2. Explain how, by whom, the frequency, and the purpose for which the information will be used. State whether NTIA’s Information Quality Guidelines apply, if so, confirm that the collection complies with the Guidelines.

BTOP grantees and potential broadband project participants would submit information to create or update a profile in BroadbandMatch that individuals and entities seeking partners would use to identify expertise and resources they need to advance their projects. For example, small organizations looking to partner with universities may search for the contact information of universities in their state wishing to engage smaller, community organizations, and then contact potential partners to explore possible collaboration.

NTIA will not process or otherwise make use of this information, which it is collecting strictly as a resource for those planning or implementing broadband projects. The information would be relevant to broadband project participants, and as such, would remain in regular use until expiration of the information collection’s authorization.

NTIA’s Information Quality Guidelines do not apply to this information collection.

3. Describe whether, and to what extent, the collection of information involves the use of automated, electronic, mechanical, or other technological techniques or other forms of information technology.

Users will access a web portal through their browsers and will voluntarily complete a profile that contains information that potential broadband project partners would use to find each other. The data will be collected via a web interface—HTML-based server—processed on a SQL (Structured Query Language) database server, and then made available through a search tool on the web site.

4. Describe efforts to identify duplication.

NTIA is unaware of alternative avenues for gathering this particular information. The information is unique to each user of the tool.

5. If the collection of information involves small businesses or other small entities, describe the methods used to minimize burden.

Because the information collection is voluntary and requests minimal data intended specifically to serve the small and disadvantaged business and nonprofit community, among other entities, this data collection provides a valuable resource for such organizations to efficiently and quickly identify prospects for broadband project collaboration. Therefore, the burden to the small business community is virtually nonexistent.

6. Describe the consequences the Federal program or policy activities if the collection is not conducted or is conducted less frequently.

In the absence of the BroadbandMatch tool, NTIA would be unable to effectively assist communities pursuing broadband projects identify potential broadband project partners, including smaller, disadvantaged organizations, in support of the Administration’s goal of nationwide, affordable broadband access.

Consistent with the Recovery Act’s directive to ensure broadband for unserved and underserved communities and vulnerable populations, and to encourage the participation of socially and economically disadvantaged small businesses, NTIA desires to maximize opportunities for the stakeholders BTOP is intended to serve to implement sustainable broadband projects.

7. Explain any special circumstances that require the collection to be conducted in a manner inconsistent with OMB guidelines.

The data collection is consistent with OMB guidelines.

8. Provide information of the PRA Federal Register Notice that solicited public comments on the information collection prior to this submission. Summarize the public comments received in response to that notice and describe the actions taken by the agency in response to those comments. Describe the efforts to consult with persons outside the agency or to

obtain their views on the availability of data, frequency of collection, clarity of instructions and recordkeeping, disclosure, or reporting format (if any), and on the data elements to be recorded, disclosed, or reported.

The Federal Register Notice soliciting public comment was published on June 23, 2010

(Volume 75, No. 120, pg. 35765). No comments were received in response the notice.

NTIA did, however, receive encouragement from existing BroadbandMatch users to maintain the tool.

9. Explain the decision to provide payments or gifts to respondents, other than remuneration of contractors or grantees.

No payments, remuneration or gifts will be provided to respondents. Participation is strictly voluntary.

10. Describe any assurance of confidentiality provided to respondents and the basis for assurance in statute, regulation, or agency policy.

Not applicable.

11. Provide additional justification for any questions of a sensitive nature, such as sexual behavior and attitudes, religious beliefs, and other matters that are commonly considered private.

Not applicable.

12. Provide an estimate in hours of the burden of the collection of information.

NTIA estimates 4,500 respondents/responses 15 minutes each to record the requested information totaling 1,125 burden hours.

13. Provide an estimate of the total annual cost burden to the respondent or record keepers

resulting from the collection (excluding the value of the burden hours in Question 12 above).

Not applicable.

14. Provide estimates of annualized cost to the Federal government.

NTIA estimates that the one-time cost of this tool encompasses only that portion of the $4,000 cost of the SQL server used to house this tool until its term ends. At that time, the server will have other government use.

15. Explain the reasons for any program changes or adjustments.

Not applicable.

16. For data from the collections that will be published, outline the plans for tabulation and publication.

The data will not be published by NTIA, strictly speaking, though it will be always-already made public by the respondent at the time of their submission. All data will be submitted into a SQL database and will interface with a web-based search tool. Other than ex-post moderation for flagged, inappropriate entries, NTIA will play no role in tabulating, modifying or publishing this data.

17. If seeking approval to not display the expiration date for OMB approval of the information collection, explain the reasons why display would be inappropriate.

Not applicable.

18. Explain each exception to the certification statement.

Not applicable.

B. COLLECTIONS OF INFORMATION EMPLOYING STATISTICAL METHODS

This collection of information will not employ statistical methods.

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