On July 1, 2009, the USDA Rural Utilities Service (RUS) and National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) jointly issued the first of three Notices of Funds Availability (NOFA) and solicitation of applications describing the availability of funding and application requirements for the broadband initiatives contained in the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) of 2009.

• RUS established the Broadband Initiatives Program (BIP) which may extend loans, grants, and loan/grant combinations to facilitate broadband deployment in rural areas.
• NTIA established the Broadband Technology Opportunities Program (BTOP) which makes available grants for deploying broadband infrastructure in unserved and underserved areas, to enhance broadband capacity at public computer centers, and to promote sustainable broadband adoption projects.

Key Motorola broadband solutions are RUS approved.

Motorola has the broadest portfolio of wireless broadband solutions and is ready to provide you with a proposal that can provide the basis for many grant applications. Motorola's solutions, including Mesh Networks, Point-to-Multipoint Networks, Point-to-Point Bridges, One Point Wireless Suite, WiMAX and Wireless LAN, can provide fast, cost-effective access and distribution for business and residential connectivity – especially reaching areas that are generally considered unreachable or too costly for wired solutions. Motorola currently has over 450 service providers deploying solutions in North America.

Examples of projects include:

• Last Mile Project Solutions: Motorola can provide wireless broadband infrastructure solutions including proven Point-to-Point and Mesh-based products to provide broadband service to end users or end-user devices (including households, businesses, community anchor institutions, public safety entities, and critical community facilities).
• Middle Mile Project Solutions: Motorola can provide wireless broadband infrastructure solutions based on robust, high capacity licensed and unlicensed Point-to-Point products to support interoffice transport, backhaul, Internet connectivity, or special access applications.

Read this paper to learn more about the RUS grant program, its requirements, and how Motorola can work with you toward an RUS approved grant.