IV. The Stimulus Application

On July 9, the Rural Utilities Service and the NTIA issued a Notice of Funds Availability (NOFA) regarding broadband initiatives set forth by the federal American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009.

Split into three rounds — the first with a pressing deadline of August 14 — the grants will fund projects that expand broadband infrastructure that would stimulate "long-term economic growth and opportunity."

The 32-page manual further requires that applicants provide connectivity to "unserved" and "underserved" communities, enhance broadband capacity at public computer centers, and promote sustainable broadband adoption projects.

The first, the connectivity portion of the grant application (and the largest pot of money), puts $3.9 billion on the table to help bridge the digital divide by building or extending a network. It's where the City of Philadelphia plans to focus its efforts throughout the funding rounds.

The second and third options, smaller pots which make up the remaining $700 million, focus on implementation and adoption of the network. That is, setting up computers in public spaces and creating projects that promote broadband demand and affordability. Though the city will submit a proposal in the first round for the adoption projects, it will wait until the second round to focus on public implementation projects, like building computer infrastructure in recreation centers, public schools and libraries.

Of particular concern for Philadelphia, though, is the language with which the guidelines were written, says McConnell, the head of the broadband inclusion advocacy group.

A week after the stimulus guidelines were published, McConnell and Media & Democracy Coalition issued a letter to the NTIA on behalf of their clients—which include Philadelphia's Media Mobilizing Project and 24 others across the country—protesting stringent definitions of "unserved" and "underserved" citizens.

McConnell, who lives in the Philadelphia region, says that the guidelines exclude parts of the city's community that deserve a fair shake at stimulus funding. Media & Democracy Coalition provides support to broadband advocacy group Media Mobilizing Project, members of which are a part of Frank's executive advisory committee for the stimulus application.

"The way the NTIA describes 'underserved' is that we have to prove that fewer than 40 percent of consumers in an area do not subscribe to cable or phone company service. It's extremely difficult to prove because the [incumbent broadband providers] won't give us that information," McConnell says.

In addition to the language barriers, there's also competition that the city must worry about.

"There's two ways to look at this. What other cities are doing and what other cities should be doing," says Settles, the California-based broadband consultant who grew up in Philadelphia.

"Some cities and communities have been planning a network for a while. [Some have] been planning for 18 months and now they're adjusting their plans. Other cities saw the light Feb. 17 and are racing like lunatics to figure out how to plan," he says.

If Philadelphia isn't racing, it sure seems like it. In May, two months after the Recovery act was signed, the Division of Technology announced tentative plans publicly at a meeting of Refresh Philly, a local group of designers and developers dedicated to bettering the city, as reported by Technically Philly.

As this Friday's Aug. 14 deadline approaches, members of Frank's executive planning committees have been putting in 16-hour workdays to wrap things up. After it's done catching its breath, the city will need to hold its breath, as it awaits the announcements that will pin ribbons on the winners of the first round of funding. The number of recipients or specific disbursements will be decided by the NTIA.

Fortunately, even if the city doesn't benefit from stimulus grants, Frank's once soft vision will be as sharp as it can be after three months of planning.