Kansas Broadband Acceleration Grant: Public Comment Year 2

To ensure transparency and best use of taxpayer funds, a public comment process is incorporated within the Kansas Broadband Acceleration Grant Year 2 evaluation process.  This process provides an opportunity for Kansas stakeholders to learn more about the proposed projects as well as to provide input on the Broadband Acceleration Grant applications received.

The Public Comment Window is open from Feb 16, 2022 through March 8, 2022 (11:59pm CST). 

The Kansas Office of Broadband Development (KOBD) invites public comment for thirty-six (36) applications received for the Kansas state-funded, industry-matched Broadband Acceleration Grant, Year 2 (the “Grant”). This public comment process is designed to ensure program transparency and optimize use of taxpayer funds to extend high speed broadband service to unserved and underserved Kansan households and anchor businesses.   

We encourage internet service providers, the public, and other interested stakeholders to participate by expressing either support or specific concerns for the proposed Grant projects. Your input will inform which projects KOBD awards and support making the best possible investments for Kansas’ broadband infrastructure. The public comment window is from February 16, 2022 – March 8, 2022 (11:59pm CST). Grant applicants will subsequently have an opportunity to respond to the public comments received from March 10 – 22, 2022.   

Posted for comment are the Public Project Proposal and a Public Proposed Service Area Map for each Grant application.  You can download these documents from the Table below.  Proposal files are “.pdf” and map files are zipped and contain a “.kmz” map file that can be opened using Google Earth or other GIS application. 

Please consider the following in your comments:  

• Service at or exceeding 25 Mbps download and 3 Mbps upload must be available to all residential customers in the defined area for an area to be considered served.  

• Should supporting evidence demonstrate that an area is currently served, that portion of the Grant service area may be disqualified.  

Internet Service Providers (ISPs) who have concerns about a Grant project are asked to include sufficient evidence that a proposed service area (1) has service available already; (2) has begun construction that will be completed within 12 months; or (3) has planned construction to be completed within 12 months. The impact of comments received will depend on the totality of the circumstances presented and the documentation and evidence submitted with the comments.  Sufficient evidence must include information beyond the FCC data. Comments with insufficient evidence or documentation will not be considered.  

The KOBD will post non-proprietary comments and evidence collected during the public comment period to the Kansas Department of Commerce web site at www.kansascommerce.gov as part of public disclosure.  Evidence must be properly marked “proprietary” to be excluded from the public posting.  For comments marked proprietary/private, KOBD will make its best efforts to redact personal identifiable information that is not considered in the public domain.  KOBD will also post any Grant applicant responses to the same web site for public review. 

Please direct any questions about the Public Comment and Response process to the KOBD at kdc_broadband@ks.gov.   

2022 Broadband Acceleration Grant Applications for Public Comment