Alternative Technologies:
The term “Alternative Technology” describes any broadband access technology that terminates at the end user’s Location or premises and does not qualify as Reliable Broadband Service, but meets the BEAD Program’s minimum technical requirements of speeds of not less than 100 Mbps for downloads and 20 Mbps for uploads and latency less than or equal to 100 milliseconds.16 This definition may include, but is not limited to, unlicensed fixed wireless (ULFW) and low Earth orbit (LEO) satellite service.
Refer to the Broadband Equity, Access, and Deployment (BEAD) Program: Selecting the Most Robust, Affordable, Scalable Technology Notice (page 3) and the Final BEAD Alternative Broadband Technology Policy Notice for further information.
Applicant:
An entity that meets VT-BEAD Gating Criteria and, by filing a Pre-Proposal, commits to participate in VT-BEAD. For Initial Project Areas where no entity files a Priority Broadband Project Pre-Proposal, a Prospective Subrecipient may also include an entity that files a Full Proposal for the corresponding Final Project Area. Also see Prospective Subrecipient.
Broadband Equity, Access, and Deployment (BEAD) Program:
A Program authorized by the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA) of 2021(Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act of 2021, Division F, Title I, Section 60102, Public Law 117-58, 135 Stat. 429 (November 15, 2021)), also known as the Infrastructure Act or Bipartisan Infrastructure Law. that provides federal funding to the National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) to grant to states, Washington, D.C., and U.S. territories for broadband planning, deployment, mapping, equity, and adoption activities. Under the BEAD Program, Vermont is eligible to receive up to $228,913,019, which will be administered by the Vermont Community Broadband Board.
Broadband Serviceable Location (Location or BSL):
A business or residential Location in Vermont at which fixed broadband internet access service is, or can be, installed. A BSL may be either Unserved, Underserved, or Served; only Unserved and Underserved BSLs are eligible for BEAD funding (See the NTIA BEAD NOFO (p. 13) for the complete NTIA definitions of “Location” and “Broadband Serviceable Location” Additional information is available from the FCC: About the Fabric: What a Broadband Serviceable Location (BSL) Is and Is Not.)
- Served Location – A Location that has broadband service offering speeds at or above 100Mbps download /20Mbps upload and latency at home or below 100 milliseconds, after Vermont challenges and subsequent data alignments to capture enforceable commitments have been incorporated (see VCBB BEAD ArcGIS Hub site page).
- Underserved Location – A Location that is (a) not an Unserved Location, and (b) that has service offering only speeds below 100Mbps download/20Mbps upload and/or latency above 100 milliseconds, after Vermont pre-modifications and challenges have been incorporated, as shown on the VCBB BEAD ArcGIS Hub site page. (See the BEAD NOFO (p. 7 and 16) for more information about Underserved Locations.)
- Unserved Location – A Location that the Broadband DATA Maps (As defined in the BEAD NOFO (p. 11), “the term ‘Broadband DATA Maps’ means the maps created by the Federal Communications Commission under Section 802(c)(1) of the Communications Act of 1934 (47 U.S.C. § 642(c)(1)).”) show as without any broadband service or having broadband service offering only speeds below 25Mbps download/3Mbps upload and/or latency above 100 milliseconds, after Vermont pre-modifications and challenges have been incorporated, as shown on the VCBB ArcGIS Hub site BEAD page. (See the BEAD NOFO (p. 7 and 17) for more information about Unserved Locations.)
Community Anchor Institution (CAI):
An entity such as a school, library, health clinic, health center, hospital or other medical provider, public safety entity, institution of higher education, public housing organization, or community support organization that facilitates greater use of broadband service by vulnerable populations, including, but not limited to, low-income individuals, unemployed individuals, children, the incarcerated, and aged individuals. (See the BEAD NOFO (p. 11) for more information about Community Anchor Institutions.)
Communications Union District (CUD):
A body politic and corporate consisting of two or more towns and cities for the purpose of delivering communications services and the operation of a communications plant. For the purposes of this Request for Application (RFA), CUDs are considered municipally organized entities. A map of current CUDs, as well as background information on CUDs in Vermont, can be found on the VCBB website.
Consortium:
Two or more Prospective Subrecipients that jointly propose to serve a Final Project Area, with each Prospective Subrecipient taking responsibility for serving different BSLs within the Final Project Area.
Eligible Entity:
Eligible Entities authorized to apply to NTIA for grants under the BEAD Program are the entities identified in Section 60102(a)(2)(F) of the Infrastructure Act—specifically, any State of the United States, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, American Samoa, Guam, the U.S. Virgin Islands, and the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands. See Section III of this NOFO for additional information concerning the BEAD Program’s eligibility requirements (See the NTIA BEAD NOFO (pg. 2).
In terms of the VCBB’s BEAD Program, VCBB is the Eligible Entity.
Eligible Subscriber:
Any household seeking to subscribe to broadband internet access service that (1) qualifies for the Affordable Connectivity Program (ACP) or any successor program, or (2) is a member of a household that meets any of the following criteria:
- A) Household income for the most recently completed calendar year was at or below 200 percent of the Federal Poverty Guidelines;
- B) Any member of the household receives benefits under the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, Medicaid, Federal Public Housing Assistance, Supplemental Security Income, Veterans and Survivors Pension benefit, or Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children;
- C) Any member of the household participates in Tribal specific assistance programs, such as Bureau of Indian Affairs General Assistance, Tribal TANF, Tribal Head Start, or Food Distribution Program on Indian Reservations;
- D) Any member of the household has applied for and been approved to receive benefits under the National School Lunch Program or the School Breakfast Program, or at least one member of the household is enrolled in a school or school district that participates in the USDA Community Eligibility Provision;
- E) Any member of the household received a Federal Pell Grant during the current award year;
- F) The household meets the eligibility criteria for a participating provider's existing low income internet program; or
- G) The household satisfies any other additional criteria proposed by the Eligible Entity in its Initial Proposal and Final Proposal and approved by the Assistant Secretary.
Extremely High Cost Per Location Threshold (EHCT):
A cost threshold for the average of each Unserved/Underserved Location in a Project area, above which VCBB may decline to select a proposal or seek to adjust the cost of a proposal if negotiations with a Prospective Subrecipient do not result in a cost commitment below that threshold. (See the BEAD NOFO (p. 13) for more information about extremely high cost per Extremely High Cost Per Location Thresholds.) The EHCT is based on the amount of VT-BEAD funding requested per Location (i.e., does not include match), is set iteratively after receiving all BEAD Full Proposals, and may vary from Project Area to Project Area.
Federal Interest Period:
The BEAD IPFR General Terms and Conditions clarifies that “The Federal interest in all real property or equipment acquired or improved as part of a subgrant for which the major purpose is a broadband infrastructure Project will continue for ten years after the year in which that subgrant has been closed out in accordance with 2 CFR 200.344. For example, for all subgrants closed out in 2027, regardless of the month, the Federal interest will last until December 31, 2037.”
The Federal Interest Period is defined as 10 years per the BEAD Uniform Guidance Policy Notice.
Fiber Drop:
A Fiber Drop (also referred as “drops”) refers to the final segment of a fiber optic network that connects the telecommunications infrastructure to an individual home, business, or building. This section typically involves the installation of fiber optic cable from a nearby junction box or utility pole to the customer’s premises, either overhead or underground. The "drop" in the term signifies this final connection including labor, materials, equipment, etc.
Fiber to the Home (FTTH):
"Fiber to the Home" (FTTH) refers to a high-speed internet infrastructure where fiber optic cables are run directly to individual homes or buildings. This setup replaces older copper-based wiring (like Digital Subscriber Line (DSL) or coaxial cables) with fiber optics, enabling faster and more reliable data transmission. FTTH supports higher bandwidth, which allows for activities such as streaming high-definition videos, online gaming, and working remotely with minimal lag or interruptions. It is considered the most advanced and efficient type of broadband connection.
Final Project Area:
An area defined by VCBB including, if applicable, consideration of any requested modifications to the Initial Project Area filed by Prospective Subrecipients during the Pre-Proposal period.
Final Proposal:
VCBB’s final submission to the NTIA for BEAD grant funding that details how VT-BEAD will ensure that every Location in Vermont has access to a reliable, affordable, and high-speed broadband connection, drawing on all funding available to accomplish this goal, including but not limited to BEAD Program funds. (Internet For All Broadband Equity, Access, and Deployment (BEAD) Program Final Proposal Guidance for Eligible Entities, p. 4.)
Funded Network:
Any broadband network deployed and/or upgraded with BEAD Program funds. (See the BEAD NOFO (p. 13) for more information about Funded Networks.)
Full Proposal:
A Prospective Subrecipient’s bid for providing broadband service to each Unserved and Underserved Location within a Final Project Area. The Full Proposal must also demonstrate compliance with Gating Criteria and provides information to inform the number of points awarded for each of the Scoring Criteria.
Gating Criteria:
A set of evaluation criteria that are required of each Prospective Subrecipient to be eligible for BEAD funding. If these criteria are not met, the Prospective Subrecipient is ineligible for BEAD funding, absent a waiver from the NTIA. (Adapted from NTIA’s Tricky Topics to Watch Out for in the Initial Proposal (p. 6). The one exception to the statement that, "If these criteria are not met, the Prospective Subrecipient is ineligible for BEAD funding," is the instance where VCBB requests and is granted a waiver from the NTIA at the time of Final Proposal.)
High Cost Area:
A "High-Cost Area" is an Unserved area in which the cost of building out broadband service is higher, compared to the average cost of building out broadband service in Unserved areas in the United States (as determined by the Assistant Secretary, in consultation with the Federal Communications Commission (FCC)).
Initial Project Area:
The area defined by the boundaries of a Communications Union District (CUD) in those regions of the State where a CUD has been formed, or by the boundaries of a municipality in regions where no CUD has been formed. Prospective Subrecipients may request modifications to an Initial Project Area during the Pre-Proposal period.
Last-Mile Broadband Deployment Project:
A "Last-Mile Broadband Deployment Project" refers to initiatives that focus on delivering broadband internet service directly to end-users, such as households, businesses, and institutions. This "Last Mile" is the final segment of the network infrastructure that connects the broader internet backbone (Middle-Mile Infrastructure) to individual premises.
Letter of Credit (LOC):
A requirement subject to a programmatic waiver allowing for the substitution of performance bonds. (See the BEAD NOFO (p. 72–73) for more information about the Letter of Credit.) Where applicable, the Letter of Credit must be modeled after the VCBB Model Letter of Credit in Addendum 2 of the VT-BEAD RFA. (See BEAD Letter of Credit Waiver notice and the definition for “Comparable Evidence for Letter of Credit.”)
Middle Mile Infrastructure:
Any broadband infrastructure that does not connect directly to an end-user Location, including a Community Anchor Institution (CAI). This includes:
- (i) leased dark fiber, interoffice transport, back haul, carrier-neutral internet exchange facilities, carrier-neutral submarine cable landing stations, undersea cables, transport connectivity to data centers, special access transport, and other similar services; and
- (ii) wired or private wireless broadband infrastructure, including microwave capacity, radio tower access, and other services or infrastructure for a private wireless broadband network, such as towers, fiber, and microwave links. (See the BEAD NOFO (p. 13–14) for more information about Middle Mile Infrastructure.)
As outlined by the BEAD NOFO (p. 69), any Subrecipient that has received VT-BEAD funds for construction of Middle Mile Infrastructure must permit other broadband service providers to interconnect with its funded Middle Mile Infrastructure network facilities on a just, reasonable, and nondiscriminatory basis.
National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA):
An agency within the U.S. Department of Commerce that is responsible for overseeing the BEAD Program and distributing BEAD funding to states.
New Entrants:
New Entrants are those defined as not having a record of labor and employment law compliance. Violations of Federal labor and employment laws must be disclosed.
Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO):
The Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO) for the Broadband Equity, Access, and Deployment (BEAD) Program describes how NTIA intends to administer the BEAD Program.
Ongoing Coverage:
Ongoing Coverage of Project means that service will continue to be provided to all Locations in the Project, as well as any new Locations in the Project Area that may require service in the future (i.e. a newly built residence). This includes the cost to repair and/or replace the physical infrastructure in the area to ensure that the Locations continue to be served, and with the same level of service as outlined in the proposal.
Other Last-Mile Broadband Deployment Project:
A Project that is not a Priority Broadband Project.
Pre-Proposal:
A Prospective Subrecipient’s submission that notifies the VCBB of its intent to participate in VT-BEAD, identifies any requested modifications to the Initial Project Area(s) for which it intends to submit a Full Proposal, and answers questions to provide basic information about its forthcoming Full Proposal and to indicate readiness to meet BEAD Gating Criteria. In most instances, filing a Pre-Proposal for an Initial Project Area is required to have a Full Proposal considered for the corresponding Final Project Area. Filing a Pre-Proposal for an Initial Project Area also constitutes a commitment to file a Full Proposal for the corresponding Final Project Area.
Priority Broadband Project:
A Project that will provision service via end-to-end fiberoptic facilities to each end-user premises. Any Project that might otherwise qualify as a Priority Broadband Project may be disqualified from Priority Broadband Project status, with the approval of the Assistant Secretary of Commerce for Communications and Information, on the basis that the Location surpasses the VCBB’s Extremely High Cost Per Location Threshold (EHCT), or for other valid reasons subject to approval by the Assistant Secretary. (See the BEAD NOFO (p. 14 and 42) for more information about Priority Broadband Projects.)
Project:
A set of Locations within a Final Project Area to which a Prospective Subrecipient commits to constructing and deploying infrastructure for the provision of broadband service. The Project must include every Unserved and Underserved Location within the Final Project Area and may also include a subset of Served Locations (within the same Final Project Area) that the Prospective Subrecipient has identified as essential to completing the Project. The number of Served Locations in the Project may in no case exceeds 20% of the total number of Locations in the Project. (See the BEAD NOFO (p. 14) for more information about Projects.)
Prospective Subrecipient:
An entity that meets VT-BEAD Gating Criteria and, by filing a Pre-Proposal, commits to participate in VT-BEAD. For Initial Project Areas where no entity files a Priority Broadband Project Pre-Proposal, a Prospective Subrecipient may also include an entity that files a Full Proposal for the corresponding Final Project Area. Also see Applicant.
Prospective Winner:
The Prospective Subrecipient that has been preliminarily selected as the winner using the processes for Selecting Full Proposals to Score and Scoring Proposals, pending determination that the entity’s proposal is below or can be negotiated below the final EHCT. Due to the iterative process used to set the EHCT, the Prospective Winner cannot be determined to be the Winner until after the final iteration of the EHCT has been completed; a proposal that is below a preliminary EHCT is not guaranteed to be below the final EHCT for that area.
Reliable Broadband Service:
Broadband service accessible via
- (i) Fiber optic technology;
- (ii) Cable Modem/ Hybrid fiber-coaxial technology;
- (iii) Digital Subscriber Line (DSL) technology; or
- (iv) Terrestrial fixed wireless technology utilizing entirely licensed spectrum or using a hybrid of licensed and unlicensed spectrum.
Technology types that do not constitute Reliable Broadband Service include satellite, services using entirely unlicensed spectrum, and technologies not specified by the FCC for purposes of the Broadband DATA Maps. (See the BEAD NOFO (p. 15 and 28) for more information about Reliable Broadband Service.)
Scoring Criteria:
Evaluation criteria that will be used to assign values or points to Full Proposals from competing Prospective Subrecipients. Scoring Criteria are not requirements, but VCBB will determine which proposals to select for funding by allotting points based on these criteria.
Speed to Deployment:
Speed to Deployment has been defined within the BEAD NOFO and refers to the time (in years) for a Prospective Subrecipient to “deploy the planned broadband network and begin providing services to each customer that desires broadband services within the Project Area not later than four years after the date on which the Subrecipient receives the subgrant from VCBB (BEAD NOFO).
Subgrantee: An entity chosen by VCBB to receive BEAD grant funds from the State of Vermont to carry out BEAD-eligible activities.(See the BEAD NOFO (p. 15) for more information about the term “Subrecipient.”) Also see Subrecipient.
Subrecipient:
An entity chosen by VCBB to receive BEAD grant funds from the State of Vermont to carry out BEAD-eligible activities.(See the BEAD NOFO (p. 15) for more information about the term “Subrecipient.”) Also see Subgrantee.
Subrecipient Selection Process:
Refer to page 43 of the Page 43 of the BEAD Final Proposal Guidance version 1.2 for further information on the Subrecipient Selection Process.
Universal Service Plan:
A plan for providing each Unserved and Underserved Location in a Communications Union District (CUD) or in a municipality that was not part of a CUD prior to June 1, 2021 access to broadband service capable of speeds of at least 100 Mbps download and 100 Mbps upload (See Vermont Act 71 (p. 8)).
Useful Life:
The BEAD IPFR General Terms and Conditions clarifies that the “Useful Life” coincides with the “Federal Interest Period.” For the purposes of this award, the Useful Life of the real property or equipment acquired or improved using BEAD funds shall coincide with the Federal Interest Period.
Vermont Community Broadband Board (VCBB):
VCBB is the entity responsible for administering Vermont’s NTIA-Approved Broadband Equity, Access and Deployment Program (VT-BEAD). Vermont Act 71 of 2021 established the Vermont Community Broadband Board, consisting of five board members and an Executive Director, within the Department of Public Service (PSD). VCBB staff are State of Vermont employees under the PSD.
VT-BEAD:
Vermont’s NTIA-approved Broadband Equity, Access, and Deployment (BEAD) Program.