81 FR 38143 - Community Connectivity Initiative-Webinar Series

DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE
National Telecommunications and Information Administration

Federal Register Volume 81, Issue 113 (June 13, 2016)

The National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA), as part of its BroadbandUSA program, will host a nine-part series of monthly webinars to engage stakeholders to inform the development of the Community Connectivity Initiative (Initiative). The objective of the Initiative is to support communities working to accelerate broadband access, improve digital inclusion, strengthen policies, and support local community priorities. The webinar series will convene stakeholders to discuss the role that broadband plays in achieving local priorities and will solicit input on the development of the Initiative, which is a compilation of three new resources for local communities featuring: (1) A Community Connectivity framework; (2) an online self-assessment tool; and (3) a report and recommendations. Through collaborative sessions, participants will: Review the Community Connectivity framework; review assessment questions and response options; co-design the structure and content for the report and recommendations; and identify supporting resources and tools that will support the local communities' use of the tools in 2017 and beyond.

[Federal Register Volume 81, Number 113 (Monday, June 13, 2016)]
[Notices]
[Pages 38143-38144]
From the Federal Register Online  [www.thefederalregister.org]
[FR Doc No: 2016-13903]


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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

National Telecommunications and Information Administration


Community Connectivity Initiative--Webinar Series

AGENCY: National Telecommunications and Information Administration, 
U.S. Department of Commerce.

ACTION: Notice of open meetings, monthly webinars.

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SUMMARY: The National Telecommunications and Information Administration 
(NTIA), as part of its BroadbandUSA program, will host a nine-part 
series of monthly webinars to engage stakeholders to inform the 
development of the Community Connectivity Initiative (Initiative). The 
objective of the Initiative is to support communities working to 
accelerate broadband access, improve digital inclusion, strengthen 
policies, and support local community priorities. The webinar series 
will convene stakeholders to discuss the role that broadband plays in 
achieving local priorities and will solicit input on the development of 
the Initiative, which is a compilation of three new resources for local 
communities featuring: (1) A Community Connectivity framework; (2) an 
online self-assessment tool; and (3) a report and recommendations. 
Through collaborative sessions, participants will: Review the Community 
Connectivity framework; review assessment questions and response 
options; co-design the structure and content for the report and 
recommendations; and identify supporting resources and tools that will 
support the local communities' use of the tools in 2017 and beyond.

DATES: The Community Connectivity Initiative monthly webinars will be 
held on the second Thursday of each month from 2:00-3:00 p.m., Eastern 
Time, starting on July 14, 2016 and ending on March 9, 2017.

ADDRESSES: This is a virtual meeting. Participants can register for one 
or more webinars in the series at NTIA's Web site at http://www2.ntia.doc.gov/CommunityConnectivityWebinars.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Barbara Brown, National 
Telecommunications and Information Administration, U.S. Department of 
Commerce, Room 4889, 1401 Constitution Avenue NW., Washington, DC 
20230; telephone: (202) 280-8260; email: [email protected]. Please 
direct media inquiries to NTIA's Office of Public Affairs, (202) 482-
7002; email [email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 
    NTIA's BroadbandUSA program provides expert advice and field-proven 
tools for assessing broadband adoption, planning new infrastructure and 
engaging a wide range of partners in broadband projects. BroadbandUSA 
convenes workshops on a regular basis to bring stakeholders together to 
discuss ways to improve broadband policies, share best practices, and 
connect communities to other federal agencies and funding sources for 
the purpose of expanding broadband infrastructure and adoption 
throughout America's communities. Experts from NTIA's BroadbandUSA 
program are available to provide technical assistance and to connect 
communities with additional resources, such as best practices, guides 
and program models.
    NTIA's BroadbandUSA team is developing new tools to support 
communities working to expand broadband access, adoption and use. The 
Initiative will provide communities with a comprehensive self-
assessment tool and report to enable communities to better understand 
how their current policies and programs support broadband connectivity; 
an index or comparative community connectivity score; technical 
assistance with broadband planning and implementation; and access to an 
expanding community of practice. This webinar series will address the 
development of each of these components, including the planning 
framework, online self-assessment tool, and report with 
recommendations. Each webinar will include a 15-20 minute overview and 
update on the Community Connectivity Initiative and a discussion topic 
pertinent to the 2016 development and program roll-out. The proposed 
focus areas for each meeting are listed below:

July 14: Initiative update and framework and assessment design 
discussion
Aug. 11: Initiative update and discussion of the report and recommended 
output
Sept.8: Initiative update and recommendations discussion
Oct. 13: Initiative update and discussion on user support requirements
Nov. 10: Initiative update and evaluation discussion
Dec. 8: Initiative update and discussion of training requirements
Jan. 12: Initiative update and discussion of roll-out timeline
Feb. 9: Initiative update and communication discussion
March 9: Initiative update and next steps discussion

    Participants are welcome to attend one or many webinars. General

[[Page 38144]]

questions and comments are welcome at any time during webinars via 
email to [email protected]. The webinars are open to the public 
and press. Pre-registration is recommended. NTIA asks registrants to 
provide their first and last names and email addresses for both 
registration purposes and to receive any updates on the BroadbandUSA 
Community Connectivity Initiative at http://www2.ntia.doc.gov/CommunityConnectivityWebinars or via email at 
[email protected]. Meeting agendas and relevant documents, 
including information on how to register for one or more webinars, will 
be also available on NTIA's Web site at http://www2.ntia.doc.gov/CommunityConnectivityWebinars.
    Individuals requiring accommodations, such as language 
interpretation or other ancillary aids, are asked to notify the NTIA 
contact listed above at least seven (7) business days before the 
meeting.

    Dated: June 8, 2016.
Kathy D. Smith,
Chief Counsel, National Telecommunications and Information 
Administration.
[FR Doc. 2016-13903 Filed 6-10-16; 8:45 am]
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