Tracking Project Progress in the Middle Mile Program

By: Sarah Bleau, Director of the Middle Mile Program, NTIA

Across six Internet for All grant programs, NTIA is already funding hundreds of individual projects, with hundreds more to come. A new type of data dashboard shows how the public can monitor the progress of construction and implementation related to projects in their area.

Careful monitoring and oversight of grantees is key for ensuring timely execution of funded projects and minimizing the risk of waste, fraud, and abuse. NTIA has built regular reporting requirements into its grant programs, and these new dashboards will give the public increased transparency into those reports.

The Enabling Middle Mile Broadband Infrastructure Program is the subject of the first dashboard to launch. The objective of the program is to build new or more resilient middle mile networks so that high-speed Internet service can be made available and affordable for everyone in America. It is the force multiplier for the Broadband Equity, Access, and Deployment (BEAD) Program, lowering the cost of deployment of so-called "last mile" infrastructure that connects peoples' homes to the Internet.

Fittingly, the first Middle Mile project broke ground in Reno, NV just last month. While the start of construction marks an important milestone in how the public perceives a project, there are several steps that grantees have already taken just to get to this point, such as:

• Network design,
• Environmental review,
• Permit approvals, and
• Purchasing necessary equipment.

Many of these activities can be accomplished at the same time. For example, network designs can be largely finalized while environmental work is being approved. Equipment can be procured to mitigate long lead-times while permits are being pulled.

NTIA requires that recipients report on progress and milestones twice a year, and through the NTIA Middle Mile Tracking Dashboard, we are publishing that data in a digestible, accessible, and easy-to-use format. For each grantee, the dashboard shows the award amount, the project location, and percentages of procurement, permitting, and construction completed.

In addition to providing a window through which the public can monitor awards under the program, the dashboard will also educate Internet Service Providers, who have a keen interest in the progress of Middle Mile projects. Many funded projects anticipate building access points for ISPs to connect to this new infrastructure, enabling them to increase Internet speeds to the homes and businesses they serve or intend to serve in the future. The dashboard will give those ISPs insight into construction progress.

The dashboard will be updated every six months to reflect the semi-annual "progress to completion" updates provided by awardees. And keep an eye on our website for other programs launching their dashboards! Beginning later this summer, NTIA will launch similar dashboards for its Connecting Minority Communities (CMC) pilot program, Broadband Infrastructure Program (BIP), and the Tribal Broadband Connectivity Program (TBCP). The BEAD and Digital Equity Capacity, and Digital Equity Competitive program dashboards will follow in due time.

Our efforts to increase connectivity, affordability, and equity are in full swing across all programs. With these dashboards, anyone can monitor our progress on a project-by-project basis as we work to achieve Internet for All.