27775870 - Florida Administrative Rules, Law, Code, Register

Florida Department of State and Division of Library and Information Services


Notice: 27775870
Notice of Meeting/Workshop Hearing

Department:	DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE
Division:	Division of Community Development


Overview



	The Florida Department of Commerce (FloridaCommerce) announces a public meeting to which all persons are invited.

DATE AND TIME:	December 7, 2023, 2:00 p.m. to 3:00 p.m.

PLACE:	Join Online: https://events.gcc.teams.microsoft.com/event/29eef2f3-b4a6-4610-8137-c0bbf2c0a0c4@931da019-f64e-4908-b0f6-92f46f78c512 Join Via Telephone: 1(850) 988-5144 / Conference ID: 855 792 120 # Attend In-Person: Florida Department of Commerce, 107 E. Madison St., Caldwell Building, Room 114, Tallahassee, Florida 32399

Subject:	FloridaCommerce announces the 30-day public comment period for the State of Florida’s Broadband Equity, Access, and Deployment (BEAD) Initial Proposal Volume I. The public comment period will begin on Wednesday, November 15, 2023, and end on Friday, December 15, 2023, at 11:59 p.m., Eastern Time. Volume I is available for review at FloridaJobs.Org/Broadband. Additionally, the Office of Broadband will host a webinar to provide a chance for public comment on the BEAD Initial Proposal for Volumes I and II. In 2023, the State of Florida was allocated more than $1.16 billion through the federal BEAD program to facilitate the expansion of broadband Internet and service access across the state. Prior to launching the full program in 2024, the State of Florida must first develop an initial proposal to be submitted to the National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) by December 27, 2023. As part of this process, states must allow for at least a 30-day public comment period for the public to review and provide constructive feedback on the proposal. Florida’s BEAD Initial Proposal Volume I, which is available for review at FloridaJobs.Org/Broadband, builds upon the solid foundation established through the Florida Strategic Plan for Broadband and the state’s recently published BEAD Five-Year Action Plan, which demonstrates the state’s blueprint for achieving 100 percent connectivity to broadband throughout the state. In the proposal, Volume I will address four BEAD requirements including the Office of Broadband’s plan for the Challenge Process, identifying existing broadband funding, listing unserved and underserved locations throughout the state, and defining and listing Community Anchor Institutions. Public comments on the Initial Proposal Volume I may be submitted to FloridaCommerce through Friday, December 15, 2023, at 11:59 p.m., Eastern Time. Community members are encouraged to submit their comments through email to Broadband@Commerce.fl.gov or by mail to: FloridaCommerce Office of Broadband The Caldwell Building 107 East Madison Street, MSC-400 Tallahassee, Florida 32399


	A copy of the agenda may be obtained by contacting: Broadband@Commerce.fl.gov.

PRINT PUBLISH DATE:	11/14/2023 Vol. 49/221


REFERENCE MATERIALS:	No reference(s).

Under Florida law, E-mail addresses are public records. If you do not want your E-mail address released in response to a public records request, do not send electronic mail to this entity. Instead, contact this office by phone or in writing.

Overview