1. Mapping and Descriptions
a. Data and information relating to areas
proposed to be served is required in order to confirm that the project is
serving eligible areas, to accurately score the application; and track progress
and completion of the project if awarded. 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. An
applicant is allowed to propose construction of broadband infrastructure to
GUMBO-ineligible locations if the proposed project includes GUMBO-eligible
locations, and the applicant reports this intention. An applicant may not use
any GUMBO grant funding to build to these ineligible locations. Broadband
infrastructure deployment to ineligible areas must result as a natural
byproduct of broadband infrastructure deployment to eligible areas, and an
applicant is not allowed to use any GUMBO grant funding for deployment to
ineligible areas. Any potential grant awardee proposing to build broadband
infrastructure to GUMBO-ineligible areas will be subjected to additional and
rigorous auditing and control standards to ensure compliance with all
applicable state and federal law. In no instance shall the number of ineligible
locations proposed exceed 25 percent of the number of GUMBO-eligible locations
contained within an application.
b.
Data and information 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 total cost per prospective broadband recipient must be
provided, as well as the GUMBO cost per prospective broadband
recipient.
c. The office reserves
the right to request any additional data and technical information the office
deems necessary.
d. Additionally,
applicants may also submit applications for areas where transmission speeds are
advertised as reliably meeting or exceeding 100:20 Mbps, if indisputable data
is available to establish, to the satisfaction of the office, at its sole
discretion, that delivered transmission speeds are reliably less than 100:20
Mbps. Such data should be statistically significant and fully support the
application. In no instance should such data provide conflicting data
points.
e. Data Submission
Requirements
i. Address-Level Data-data shall
be submitted at the address level. Such individual addresses shall be submitted
in shapefile and table format, and shall be inclusive of longitudinal and
latitudinal coordinates, specific to each individual address. Should such an
address be assigned a specific geolocator number or other specific identifier
by the federal government prior to submission to the office, relative to
federal broadband availability mapping efforts, such identifier shall be
included with each address. Such addresses shall also be denoted by individual
points within the shapefile. Locations projected to be served must be digitally
submitted in a GIS shapefile or kml 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. Service to any
prospective broadband recipient should be referenced. Data and information
submitted through mapping files shall match the information and data entered
into the application. Any discrepancy in the data and information entered into
the application and submitted in any associated files, including mapping files,
may be grounds for administrative rejection of the application, without the
opportunity for remedy by the applicant. The Office may provide a common data
dictionary prior to the opening of any grant application period.
f. Additional Data Sets
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 to the required data
listed above and should not be submitted as an alternative. This information
will be evaluated as supporting information, only.
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. This data must identify the areas
that have less than 100:20 service.
* Affidavits from citizens or other individuals certifying
one or more of the following:
* they are not able to receive broadband service; or
* the only available service is cellular or satellite;
or
* the only broadband service available by the existing
providers is less than 100:20 service.
2. Assessment of the Current Level of
Broadband Access in the Proposed Deployment Area
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. Attestation of Project Area Eligibility
a. Applicants are required to sign the
statement of attestation to attest to the office that the project area
identified within the application is eligible as of the close of the applicable
application period, 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.