1. A. An applicant may submit one application with multiple service providers if the applicant can demonstrate how the providers are collaborating to achieve universal coverage for the unserved locality or region.
2. B. An applicant may submit an application with support from more than one unit of local government.

3. C. Units of local government may endorse multiple applications with different service providers and may include project areas that cross jurisdictional boundaries.

   1. 1. Units of local government that provide letters of support, matching funds, or in-kind contributions to any application should provide the same, on a percentage basis relative to matching funds and in-kind contributions, to all applications proposing the use of like technologies in identical unserved areas with access provided to the exact number of prospective broadband recipients within its jurisdiction. Should multiple applications propose to serve unserved areas within its jurisdiction and include the use of unlike technologies, differing unserved areas, or a non-analogous number of prospective broadband recipients to be served, as compared against other applications, a local government may use reasonable judgement and reserve the right to determine its level of support, to include letters of support, matching funds, or in-kind contributions, on an application by application basis. A unit of local government that provides differing levels of support, to include letters of support, matching funds, or in-kind contributions, to differing applicants proposing one or more projects within its jurisdiction shall provide an explanation to the office as to why the local government’s differing levels of support do not present an unreasonable or undue preference or advantage to itself or to any provider of broadband service. If, in the opinion of the office, differing levels of support by a unit of local government for differing applications presents an undue or unreasonable preference or advantage to itself or to any provider of broadband service, the office may disqualify from grant funding consideration any application or project area within the jurisdiction of the unit of local government.
4. D. An applicant may include one contiguous project area or multiple non-contiguous project areas in a single application. If designating more than one project area in a single application, each project area must be clearly noted and delineated, and the required technical data and budgetary information must be provided for each project area to allow for independent scoring of each project area. Any application that contains more than one project area and does not provide technical data and budgetary information specific to each project area, to allow for independent scoring of each project area subject to the scoring criteria listed in §405 of this Part, may be removed from grant funding consideration.

Authority Note

AUTHORITY NOTE: Promulgated in accordance with R.S. 51:2370-2370.16.

Historical Note

HISTORICAL NOTE: Promulgated by the Office of the Governor, Division of Administration, Office of Broadband Development and Connectivity, LR 48:1506 (June 2022).