1. A. Every application shall include the following.

   1. 1. Mapping and Descriptions

      1. a. Data relating to areas to be served is required in order to confirm that the project is serving eligible areas, to accurately score the application or project area, and track progress and completion of the project if awarded. Applicants shall submit data in any of the following ways, or in combination. If documentation is deemed insufficient, the office reserves the right to request additional supporting documentation. If the proposed project would result in the provision of broadband service to areas that are not eligible for funding, those ineligible areas shall be identified in the application along with the eligible areas.
      2. b. Data included shall be relevant to the proposed project area and include the number of prospective broadband recipients that will be served and have access to broadband as a result of the project. For the proposed area to be served, the infrastructure cost per prospective broadband recipient must be provided, as well as the GUMBO cost per prospective broadband recipient. Data points should be tied to specific locations and be geo-coded for consideration as part of the application.
      3. c. Areas projected to be served must be digitally submitted in a GIS shapefile, kml, CAD (.dwg), or MicroStation (.dgn) file format, and should be georeferenced to either the Louisiana North State Plane NAD83 (US Feet) coordinate system or the Louisiana South State Plane NAD83 (US Feet) coordinate system. The files can contain points representing locations or polygons outlining the specific areas to be served. CAD drawings must not contain external references. Service to any prospective broadband recipient should be referenced. The office reserves the right to request data and technical information in any format the office deems necessary.
      4. d. Additionally, applicants may also submit applications for areas where transmission speeds are less than 25:3 Mbps, if data is available to support differences between advertised and transmission speeds.

      5. e. Data Submission Requirements

         1. i. Census Blocks—data shall be submitted as corresponding census block numbers encompassing the area(s) to be served through the proposed project.
         2. ii. Shapefiles—data shall be submitted analyzing geospatial data depicting broadband coverage of the proposed project area.
         3. iii. Address-Level Data—data shall be submitted as individual address points of locations where service will be made available through the grant build. All addresses must be geocoded to include latitudinal and longitudinal coordinates.
         4. iv. Polygons—data shall be submitted as polygon geometry which contain the areas to be served, or with the expectation that the polygon submitted corresponds to service being available to all locations within the polygon. The applicant must use the most recent data available from the state, parish, or local government to identify all locations within the project area.

      6. f. Additional Data Sets

         1. i. To assist in clarifying or providing for a greater level of detail regarding the areas and locations to be served by a proposed project, additional data sets may be provided within the application. These data sets should serve as supporting information and material to the required data listed above and should not be submitted as an alternative.

            Examples of additional data include, but are not limited to:

            • Scrubbed data (no raw data) from citizen survey results or demand aggregation results with speed tests, if applicable. This data must identify the areas that have less than 25:3 service.

            • Affidavits from citizens or other individuals certifying one or more of the following:

            o they are not able to receive broadband service; or

            o the only available service is cellular or satellite; or

            o the only broadband service available by the existing providers is less than 25:3 service.

   2. 2. Assessment of the Current Level of Broadband Access in the Proposed Deployment Area

      1. a. The application requires an assessment of the current level of broadband access in the proposed deployment area. Within this section of the application, the applicant should describe what they believe to be the current level of service within the area and provide the data source or methodology used to capture this information. Raw data may be submitted as part of the assessment.

   3. 3. Attestation of Project Area Eligibility

      1. a. Applicants are required to sign the statement of attestation to attest to the office that the project area(s) identified within the application are eligible, as defined by Louisiana Revised Statutes 51:2370.1 through 2370.16 and this Part, to the best of their knowledge. The attestation statement and signature shall be included as part of the application.

Authority Note

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

Historical Note

HISTORICAL NOTE: