(a)

1. (1) If an ISP wants to launch a project that would cover multiple eligible municipalities, unincorporated communities, and/or counties, it shall:

   1. (A) Divide the project into subprojects that each cover a single eligible municipality, unincorporated community, or county; and
   2. (B) Consider whether the subprojects would be worth implementing if they were funded separately.

2. (2)

   1. (A) If the subprojects are commercially feasible as separate projects, the ISP may choose, if the public officials representing the affected communities are willing, to cosubmit separate applications for each subproject.
   2. (B) Otherwise, the ISP may choose to alert the public officials of the interdependent character of proposed projects and, with their agreement, cosubmit the projects as interdependent projects.
3. (3) The interdependent projects option may also be used to achieve eligibility for ARC grants by combining communities that are too small to be eligible on their own.

(b)

1. (1) When an ISP coapplies with multiple communities on interdependent projects, the ISP shall indicate to the community that the project is interdependent with one (1) or more other projects, such that they cannot be funded and executed separately.

2. (2) The community, if it still wishes to apply for that project, shall then indicate on the application:

   1. (A) That the project is interdependent with other projects; and
   2. (B) Which other projects it is interdependent with.

3. (3) The ISP:

   1. (A) Will have the opportunity to view the community’s portion of an application before it is submitted; and
   2. (B) Shall check to confirm that the community has accurately represented whether the project is interdependent and with which other projects it is interdependent.
4. (4) The Arkansas Department of Commerce Broadband Office’s project selection process, described below, will then ensure that projects which form an interdependent set are either all approved or all rejected.