80 FR 18248 - Advance Notice of Digital Opportunity Demonstration
DEPARTMENT OF HOUSING AND URBAN DEVELOPMENT Federal Register Volume 80, Issue 64 (April 3, 2015)
Federal Register Volume 80, Issue 64 (April 3, 2015)
| Page Range | 18248-18250 | |
| FR Document | 2015-07719 |
[Federal Register Volume 80, Number 64 (Friday, April 3, 2015)] [Notices] [Pages 18248-18250] From the Federal Register Online [www.thefederalregister.org] [FR Doc No: 2015-07719] ----------------------------------------------------------------------- DEPARTMENT OF HOUSING AND URBAN DEVELOPMENT [Docket No. FR-5859-N-01] Advance Notice of Digital Opportunity Demonstration AGENCY: Office of the Secretary, HUD. ACTION: Notice. ----------------------------------------------------------------------- SUMMARY: Through this notice, HUD solicits advance comment on a demonstration designed to test the effectiveness of collaborative efforts by government, industry, and nonprofit organizations to accelerate broadband adoption and use in HUD-assisted homes. Approximately 20 HUD-assisted communities, selected from across the country, are anticipated to participate in the demonstration. The purpose of the demonstration is to provide students--and their families--the ability to benefit from life-changing opportunities that technology affords. Specifically, the demonstration will focus on providing students housed with HUD assistance the opportunity to improve their educational and economic outcomes through a range of efforts to narrow the digital divide. DATES: Comment Due Date: May 1, 2015. ADDRESSES: Interested persons are invited to submit comments responsive to this notice to the Office of General Counsel, Regulations Division, Department of Housing and Urban Development, 451 7th Street SW., Room 10276, Washington, DC 20410-0001. All submissions should refer to the above docket number and title. Submission of public comments may be carried out by hard copy or electronic submission. Submission of Hard Copy Comments. Comments may be submitted by mail or hand delivery. Each commenter submitting hard copy comments, by mail or hand delivery, should submit comments to the address above, addressed to the attention of the Regulations Division. Due to security measures at all federal agencies, submission of comments by mail often results in delayed delivery. To ensure timely receipt of comments, HUD recommends that any comments submitted by mail be submitted at least 2 weeks in advance of the public comment deadline. All hard copy comments received by mail or hand delivery are a part of the public record and will be posted to http://www.regulations.gov without change. Electronic Submission of Comments. Interested persons may submit comments electronically through the Federal eRulemaking Portal at http://www.regulations.gov. HUD strongly encourages commenters to submit comments electronically. Electronic submission of comments allows the commenter maximum time to prepare and submit a comment, ensures timely receipt by HUD, and enables HUD to make comments immediately available to the public. Comments submitted electronically through the http://www.regulations.gov Web site can be viewed by other commenters and interested members of the public. Commenters should follow instructions provided on that site to submit comments electronically. No Facsimile Comments. Facsimile (fax) comments are not acceptable. Public Inspection of Comments. All comments submitted to HUD regarding this notice will be available, without charge, for public inspection and copying between 8 a.m. and 5 p.m., Eastern Time, weekdays at the above address. Due to security measures at the HUD Headquarters building, an advance appointment to review the public comments must be scheduled by calling the Regulations Division at 202- 708-3055 (this is not a toll-free number). Individuals with speech or hearing impairments may access this number through TTY by calling the Federal Relay Service at 800-877-8339 (this is a toll-free number). Copies of all comments submitted are available for inspection and downloading at http://www.regulations.gov. [[Page 18249]] FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Camille E. Acevedo, Associate General Counsel for Legislation and Regulations, Office of General Counsel, Department of Housing and Urban Development, 451 Seventh Street SW., Room 10282, Washington, DC 20410-7000, telephone number 202-402-5132 (this is not a toll-free number). Persons with hearing or speech impairments may access this number through TTY by calling the Federal Relay Service at 800-877-8339 (this is a toll-free number). SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: I. Background Knowledge is a pillar to achieving the American Dream--a catalyst for upward mobility as well as an investment that ensures each generation is as successful as the last. Nations and local communities that cultivate access to global knowledge will thrive in an increasingly complex and technologically oriented world, while those that do not will struggle to keep pace. The adoption, associated programming, and use of broadband technology are powerful tools to increase access to knowledge. In the summer of 2013, President Barack Obama unveiled ``ConnectED,'' a bold plan to transform teaching and learning in American public schools through technology--built atop a challenge to ensure that 99 percent of students have access to high- speed broadband in their classrooms by 2018.\1\ Many low-income Americans do not have broadband Internet at home, contributing to the estimated 66 million Americans who are without the most basic digital literacy skills.\2\ Without broadband and the skills to use technology at home, children will miss out on the high-value educational, economic, and social impact that high-speed Internet provides. --------------------------------------------------------------------------- \1\ https://www.whitehouse.gov/issues/education/k-12/connected. \2\ http://www.connectednation.org/sites/default/files/mn_digital_literacy_final.pdf. --------------------------------------------------------------------------- Making this issue even more acute is the fact that the jobs of tomorrow will require robust technology skills. For example, over 80 percent of Fortune 500 companies require job seekers to respond to online postings with a working email address.\3\ The digital divide in broadband access and use disproportionately affects certain Americans: Those who earn less than $25,000 annually; individuals who did not finish high school; and African Americans and Hispanics.\4\ HUD serves these populations. Eighty-four percent of households with HUD assistance make less than $20,000 per year, and 63 percent are African American or Hispanic (46 percent and 17 percent, respectively).\5\ --------------------------------------------------------------------------- \3\ http://www.fcc.gov/blog/fcc-chairman-announces-jobs-focused-digital-literacy-partnership-between-connect2compete-and-28. \4\ http://www.pewinternet.org/fact-sheets/broadband-technology-fact-sheet/. \5\ Using data extracted from HUD's Inventory Management System (IMS)/Public and Indian Housing Information Center (PIC) and Tenant Rental Assistance Certification System (TRACS), HUD computed estimates of residents' race/ethnicity and household income. --------------------------------------------------------------------------- Research conducted by the National Telecommunications and Information Administration of the Department of Commerce has highlighted several significant barriers that deter the adoption of broadband technology by the communities HUD serves.\6\ These barriers include: --------------------------------------------------------------------------- \6\ http://www.ntia.doc.gov/files/ntia/publications/esa_ntia_us_broadband_adoption_report_11082010_1.pdf. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------Cost: The high cost of broadband installation and the on- going provision of service. Perception: Unease about the Internet due to safety and privacy concerns. Relevance: The inability to see how the Internet relates to home or work life. Skills: The absence of digital literacy skills needed to use online tools and services effectively. II. Demonstration Every student living in public or assisted housing should have access to the opportunities broadband Internet connectivity can provide. This demonstration is designed to encourage and create the platform for communities to collaborate with their Internet service providers, other businesses, foundations, nonprofit organizations, educational leaders, digital literacy organizations, and others to narrow the digital divide in their communities and to test the effectiveness of a collaborative set of actions that address the barriers described above. 1. Making Broadband More Adoptable Through the demonstration, HUD will build upon existing work with private industry, public housing agencies (PHAs), local governments, philanthropic foundations, and nonprofit service providers. The demonstration will continue this collaborative work to improve the lives of students housed with HUD assistance by providing the forum by which cross-sector organizations can come together to design and implement local interventions to narrow the digital divide. 2. Criteria for Participation The number of communities served at the outset of this demonstration will depend on the number of communities that commit to narrowing the digital divide and that meet the criteria described below. HUD's goal is to identify a sample of communities from urban and rural locations that possess both small and large populations and have the capacity to effectively and expediently implement the demonstration for students housed with HUD assistance. HUD seeks participation by communities where local leadership has already taken steps to support the goals of the demonstration, as measured by both the community's participation in other complementary Federal initiatives enhancing Internet access in communities, as well as local broadband plans and strategies for implementation. Participation in the demonstration by these communities will build upon existing efforts already underway to expand Internet access, thereby building the comprehensive community- school-home synergy that is a primary goal of the demonstration. HUD will use the following criteria to assess communities that have expressed an interest in participating in the demonstration: The mayor or equivalent executive elected official of the community, and the PHA executive leader, must formally announce a commitment to narrow the broadband digital divide and in so doing demonstrate the connectivity gap that exists in their community among distinct neighborhoods and demographics. Communities should develop a plan to promote and expand broadband access, adoption, and use. To ensure presence of local support and leverageable HUD infrastructure for implementation of this demonstration, communities should be currently participating in two or more Federal place-based initiatives, such as: The Choice Neighborhoods program; the Promise Zones program; the Promise Neighborhoods program; the Byrne Criminal Justice Innovation program; the Strong Cities, Strong Communities program; the STEM, Energy and Economic Development program; or the Building Neighborhood Capacity program. Communities should be broadly committed to realizing the ``ConnectED'' vision in their public schools, including having clear plans to reach school connectivity goals by 2018--with substantial progress already underway. Communities should have more than one Internet service provider, in [[Page 18250]] order to ensure a competitive marketplace in the provision of Internet services that leads to more affordable and higher quality services for households. The criteria are meant to create optimal conditions to accelerate the adoption and use of broadband technology. However, the criteria may be applied with reasonable flexibility to ensure that a diverse set of communities are considered for participation in this demonstration. As the demonstration proceeds, HUD will assess expressions of interest from communities and the availability of HUD staffing resources to support participation by more than the communities identified at the start of the demonstration. Additionally, as the demonstration proceeds, HUD will assess the effectiveness of the selection criteria on an ongoing basis. As a result of these assessments, HUD may expand the number of participating communities, revise the selection criteria, or both to reflect HUD's experience in implementing the demonstration. 3. Stakeholder Meetings In advance of commencement of the demonstration, HUD will sponsor or co-sponsor one or more meetings of communities, cross-sector entities, and other stakeholders to facilitate the sharing of information and identifying communities interested in participation in the demonstration. HUD will reach out to communities that have formally declared a commitment to close the digital divide and otherwise meet the criteria described above to participate in those meetings. HUD therefore encourages interested communities to take the necessary steps to meet the criteria as quickly as possible in order to be best positioned to realize the benefits of these discussions. HUD may partner with an existing entity that has a national organizational presence sufficient to provide a strong coordinating function across communities, government, and the private and nonprofit sectors. The entity should have significant expertise in next- generation wireline and wireless networks. It should possess strong existing relationships with industry, foundations, universities, and nonprofit and non-governmental agencies. And, finally, it should have community project experience, including educational and outreach activities in underserved populations. III. Evaluating the Demonstration HUD intends to build on the outcomes of the demonstration, with the goal of extending the demonstration on a nationwide basis. HUD will work with entities across the government and the broader research community to rigorously measure outcomes associated with work to narrow the broadband digital divide. The participating communities and cross- sector entities are expected to participate in any efforts designed to identify and share best practices from the demonstration with other HUD-assisted communities. In addition, participating communities and entities will be required to collaboratively develop and subsequently measure and report outputs and outcomes. IV. Solicitation of Public Comment In accordance with section 470 of the Housing and Urban-Rural Recovery Act of 1983 (42 U.S.C. 3542), HUD is seeking comment on the demonstration. Section 470 provides that HUD may not begin a demonstration program not expressly authorized by statute until a description of the demonstration program is published in the Federal Register and a 60-day period expires following the date of publication, during which time HUD solicits public comment and considers the comments submitted. The public comment period provided allows HUD the opportunity to consider those comments during the 60-day period, and be in a position to commence implementation of the demonstration following the conclusion of the 60-day period. Dated: March 30, 2015. Juli[aacute]n Castro, Secretary. [FR Doc. 2015-07719 Filed 4-2-15; 8:45 am] BILLING CODE P
![18248 Federal Register / Vol. 80, No. 64 / Friday, April 3, 2015 / Notices
(Joint use with GA Power Co.) Comments: public access denied and no Development, 451 7th Street SW., Room
Kings Bay GA 31547 alternative to gain access without 10276, Washington, DC 20410–0001. All
Landholding Agency: Navy compromising national security. submissions should refer to the above
Property Number: 77201510015 Reasons: Secured Area
docket number and title. Submission of
Status: Unutilized Washington
Comments: property located in floodway— public comments may be carried out by
not corrected or contained; public access B–6409 General Warehouse hard copy or electronic submission.
denied and no alternative method to gain Naval Base Kitsap Bangor (BA) Submission of Hard Copy Comments.
access without compromising national Kitsap WA 98337 Comments may be submitted by mail or
security. Landholding Agency: Navy hand delivery. Each commenter
Reasons: Floodway; Secured Area Property Number: 77201510014
Status: Unutilized
submitting hard copy comments, by
Massachusetts
Comments: public access denied and no mail or hand delivery, should submit
2 Buildings alternative method to gain access without comments to the address above,
4700 Greenway Rd. compromising national security. addressed to the attention of the
Forestdale MA 02542 Reasons: Secured Area Regulations Division. Due to security
Landholding Agency: Coast Guard measures at all federal agencies,
Property Number: 88201510007 Land
submission of comments by mail often
Status: Excess Colorado results in delayed delivery. To ensure
Directions: 15084; 15085 1.5 Acres
Comments: public access denied and no
timely receipt of comments, HUD
Navajo Unit of the Colorado recommends that any comments
alternative method to gain access without River Project
compromising national security. submitted by mail be submitted at least
Archuleta Co. CO
Reasons: Secured Area Landholding Agency: Interior
2 weeks in advance of the public
Nevada Property Number: 61201510005 comment deadline. All hard copy
Status: Excess comments received by mail or hand
14 Buildings
Mercury Hwy. on the Nevada National Comments: located between private property; delivery are a part of the public record
Security Site no established right of entry to access. and will be posted to http://
Mercury NV 89093 Reasons: Not accessible by road www.regulations.gov without change.
Landholding Agency: Energy [FR Doc. 2015–07327 Filed 4–2–15; 8:45 am] Electronic Submission of Comments.
Property Number: 41201510003 BILLING CODE 4210–67–P
Interested persons may submit
Status: Excess comments electronically through the
Directions: ID #997008; 997007; 993291; Federal eRulemaking Portal at http://
993292; 993293; 997003; 997006; 997009; www.regulations.gov. HUD strongly
DEPARTMENT OF HOUSING AND
997010; 997011; 997012; 997013; 997014;
URBAN DEVELOPMENT encourages commenters to submit
997015;
Comments: highly classified secured area; comments electronically. Electronic
[Docket No. FR–5859–N–01]
Public access denied & no alternative submission of comments allows the
method to gain access w/out compromising Advance Notice of Digital Opportunity commenter maximum time to prepare
national security. Demonstration and submit a comment, ensures timely
Reasons: Secured Area receipt by HUD, and enables HUD to
Tennessee AGENCY: Office of the Secretary, HUD. make comments immediately available
3 Buildings ACTION: Notice. to the public. Comments submitted
Y–12 National Security Complex electronically through the http://
SUMMARY: Through this notice, HUD www.regulations.gov Web site can be
Oak Ridge TN 37831
Landholding Agency: Energy
solicits advance comment on a viewed by other commenters and
Property Number: 41201510004 demonstration designed to test the interested members of the public.
Status: Unutilized effectiveness of collaborative efforts by Commenters should follow instructions
Directions: Building 9949.BC; 9949.BG; government, industry, and nonprofit provided on that site to submit
9949.69 organizations to accelerate broadband comments electronically.
Comments: public access denied & no adoption and use in HUD-assisted No Facsimile Comments. Facsimile
alternative method to gain access w/out homes. Approximately 20 HUD-assisted
compromising national security. (fax) comments are not acceptable.
communities, selected from across the Public Inspection of Comments. All
Reasons: Secured Area country, are anticipated to participate in
Virginia
comments submitted to HUD regarding
the demonstration. The purpose of the this notice will be available, without
3 Buildings demonstration is to provide students— charge, for public inspection and
NASA Langley Research Ctr. and their families—the ability to benefit copying between 8 a.m. and 5 p.m.,
Hampton VA 23681–0001 from life-changing opportunities that
Landholding Agency: NASA Eastern Time, weekdays at the above
technology affords. Specifically, the address. Due to security measures at the
Property Number: 71201510020 demonstration will focus on providing
Status: Excess HUD Headquarters building, an advance
Directions: #1222; 1275; 1283
students housed with HUD assistance appointment to review the public
Comments: public access denied & no the opportunity to improve their comments must be scheduled by calling
alternative method to gain access w/out educational and economic outcomes the Regulations Division at 202–708–
compromising national security. through a range of efforts to narrow the 3055 (this is not a toll-free number).
asabaliauskas on DSK5VPTVN1PROD with NOTICES
Reasons: Secured Area digital divide. Individuals with speech or hearing
2 Buildings DATES: Comment Due Date: May 1, impairments may access this number
7323 Telegraph Rd. 2015. through TTY by calling the Federal
Alexandria VA 20598
Landholding Agency: Coast Guard ADDRESSES: Interested persons are Relay Service at 800–877–8339 (this is
Property Number: 88201510005 invited to submit comments responsive a toll-free number). Copies of all
Status: Excess to this notice to the Office of General comments submitted are available for
Directions: Tower Hut (T03) 49478; Mars Counsel, Regulations Division, inspection and downloading at http://
Building (L08) 25743 Department of Housing and Urban www.regulations.gov.
VerDate Sep<11>2014 17:49 Apr 02, 2015 Jkt 235001 PO 00000 Frm 00061 Fmt 4703 Sfmt 4703 E:\FR\FM\03APN1.SGM 03APN1](https://thefederalregister.org/doc/80_FR_18312/page/1.svg)
![18250 Federal Register / Vol. 80, No. 64 / Friday, April 3, 2015 / Notices
order to ensure a competitive a nationwide basis. HUD will work with (NEPA) of 1969, the Federal Land Policy
marketplace in the provision of Internet entities across the government and the and Management Act (FLPMA) of 1976,
services that leads to more affordable broader research community to the Mineral Leasing Act of 1920, as
and higher quality services for rigorously measure outcomes associated amended, and the National Forest
households. with work to narrow the broadband Management Act of 1976, notice is
The criteria are meant to create digital divide. The participating hereby given that the Department of the
optimal conditions to accelerate the communities and cross-sector entities Interior, Bureau of Land Management
adoption and use of broadband are expected to participate in any efforts (BLM), Pocatello Field Office, Pocatello,
technology. However, the criteria may designed to identify and share best Idaho, and the U.S. Department of
be applied with reasonable flexibility to practices from the demonstration with Agriculture, Forest Service (USFS),
ensure that a diverse set of communities other HUD-assisted communities. In Caribou-Targhee National Forest
are considered for participation in this addition, participating communities and (CTNF), Idaho Falls, Idaho, will jointly
demonstration. As the demonstration entities will be required to prepare an environmental impact
proceeds, HUD will assess expressions collaboratively develop and statement (EIS). The purpose of this EIS
of interest from communities and the subsequently measure and report is to analyze the potential effects of
availability of HUD staffing resources to outputs and outcomes. approving a proposed lease
support participation by more than the modification and phosphate mine and
communities identified at the start of IV. Solicitation of Public Comment reclamation plan (M&RP) (the Proposed
the demonstration. Additionally, as the In accordance with section 470 of the Action) on Federal mineral leases held
demonstration proceeds, HUD will Housing and Urban-Rural Recovery Act by the J.R. Simplot Company (Simplot),
assess the effectiveness of the selection of 1983 (42 U.S.C. 3542), HUD is in southeastern Idaho; and to amend the
criteria on an ongoing basis. As a result seeking comment on the demonstration. CTNF Revised Forest Plan (2003) in
of these assessments, HUD may expand Section 470 provides that HUD may not conjunction with the project. In
the number of participating begin a demonstration program not connection with its review of the
communities, revise the selection expressly authorized by statute until a Proposed Action, the EIS will also
criteria, or both to reflect HUD’s description of the demonstration consider potential amendments to the
experience in implementing the program is published in the Federal CTNF Revised Forest Plan (2003). The
demonstration. Register and a 60-day period expires BLM, as the Federal lease administrator,
3. Stakeholder Meetings following the date of publication, during will serve as the lead agency and the
which time HUD solicits public USFS as the co-lead agency. The Idaho
In advance of commencement of the comment and considers the comments Department of Environmental Quality
demonstration, HUD will sponsor or co- submitted. The public comment period and the Idaho Department of Lands are
sponsor one or more meetings of provided allows HUD the opportunity to cooperating agencies. This notice is
communities, cross-sector entities, and consider those comments during the 60- announcing the beginning of the
other stakeholders to facilitate the day period, and be in a position to scoping process to solicit public
sharing of information and identifying commence implementation of the comments and identify issues for
communities interested in participation demonstration following the conclusion analysis.
in the demonstration. HUD will reach of the 60-day period. DATES: To ensure that comments will be
out to communities that have formally
Dated: March 30, 2015. considered, the BLM must receive
declared a commitment to close the
Julián Castro, written comments on the scope of the
digital divide and otherwise meet the
analysis described in this notice by May
criteria described above to participate in Secretary.
4, 2015. The BLM will announce
those meetings. HUD therefore [FR Doc. 2015–07719 Filed 4–2–15; 8:45 am]
meetings and any other public
encourages interested communities to BILLING CODE P
involvement activities at least 15 days
take the necessary steps to meet the in advance through public notices,
criteria as quickly as possible in order media news releases, and/or mailings.
to be best positioned to realize the DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR All comments must be received prior to
benefits of these discussions. the close of the 30-day scoping period
HUD may partner with an existing Bureau of Land Management or 15 days after the last public meeting,
entity that has a national organizational whichever is later, to be considered in
presence sufficient to provide a strong [14X LLIDI02000.13300000.EO0000 241A;
4500070627] the draft EIS. We will provide
coordinating function across additional opportunities for public
communities, government, and the participation upon publication of the
DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE
private and nonprofit sectors. The entity draft EIS.
should have significant expertise in
Forest Service ADDRESSES: You may submit written
next-generation wireline and wireless
comments to: East Smoky Panel Mine
networks. It should possess strong Notice of Intent To Prepare an EIS, C/O Stantec, formerly JBR
existing relationships with industry, Environmental Impact Statement for Environmental Consultants, Inc., 8160
foundations, universities, and nonprofit the Proposed East Smoky Panel Mine South Highland Drive, Sandy, Utah
and non-governmental agencies. And, Project at Smoky Canyon Mine, 84093, or via email at: blm_id_espm_
asabaliauskas on DSK5VPTVN1PROD with NOTICES
finally, it should have community Caribou County, ID eis@blm.gov. Please reference ‘‘East
project experience, including
AGENCY: Bureau of Land Management, Smoky Panel Mine EIS’’ on all
educational and outreach activities in
Interior; United States Forest Service, correspondence.
underserved populations.
USDA. FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
III. Evaluating the Demonstration Steve Opp, Bureau of Land
ACTION: Notice of intent.
HUD intends to build on the Management, Pocatello Field Office,
outcomes of the demonstration, with the SUMMARY: In compliance with the 4350 Cliffs Drive, Pocatello, ID 83204,
goal of extending the demonstration on National Environmental Policy Act phone 208–478–6382. Scoping
VerDate Sep<11>2014 17:49 Apr 02, 2015 Jkt 235001 PO 00000 Frm 00063 Fmt 4703 Sfmt 4703 E:\FR\FM\03APN1.SGM 03APN1](https://thefederalregister.org/doc/80_FR_18312/page/3.svg)
Document Created: 2015-12-18 15:29:24
Document Modified: 2015-12-18 15:29:24
| Category | Regulatory Information | |
| Collection | Federal Register | |
| sudoc Class | AE 2.7: GS 4.107: AE 2.106: | |
| Publisher | Office of the Federal Register, National Archives and Records Administration | |
| Section | Notices | |
| Action | Notice. | |
| Contact | Camille E. Acevedo, Associate General Counsel for Legislation and Regulations, Office of General Counsel, Department of Housing and Urban Development, 451 Seventh Street SW., Room 10282, Washington, DC 20410-7000, telephone number 202-402-5132 (this is not a toll-free number). Persons with hearing or speech impairments may access this number through TTY by calling the Federal Relay Service at 800-877-8339 (this is a toll-free number). | |
| FR Citation | 80 FR 18248 |
2024 Federal Register | Disclaimer | Privacy Policy
USC | CFR | eCFR