Federal Communications Commission	DA 18-1239


DA 18-1239
Released: December 10, 2018 

FCC ANNOUNCES THE RE-CHARTER OF THE BROADBAND DEPLOYMENT ADVISORY COMMITTEE AND SOLICITS NOMINATIONS FOR MEMBERSHIP 

GN Docket No. 17-83

The Federal Communications Commission (FCC or Commission) announces its intent to re-charter the Broadband Deployment Advisory Committee (BDAC), a federal advisory committee, which provides advice and recommendations to the Commission on accelerating the deployment of high-speed Internet access.  By this Public Notice, we seek nominations for membership on the BDAC.  The Commission intends to renew the BDAC’s charter (subject to any necessary approvals by the General Services Administration) for a period of two (2) years, starting on or about March 1, 2019.
Nominations for membership to the BDAC should be submitted to the FCC no later than January 10, 2019.  Procedures for submitting nominations are set forth below.
MISSION
The BDAC’s mission will continue to be making recommendations to the Commission on accelerating the deployment of high-speed Internet access, or “broadband,” by reducing and/or removing regulatory barriers to infrastructure investment and strengthening existing broadband networks in communities across the country.  The BDAC will continue to provide an opportunity for interested stakeholders to exchange ideas and develop recommendations to the Commission on broadband deployment, which will in turn enhance the Commission’s ability to carry out its statutory responsibility to encourage broadband deployment to all Americans.
Issues to be considered by the BDAC will include, but are not limited to, measures to prepare for, respond to, and recover from disasters that impact broadband networks; new ways of encouraging deployment of high-speed broadband infrastructure and services to low-income communities; and other ways to accelerate deployment of broadband infrastructure to all Americans and to close the digital divide.
The BDAC will be organized under, and will operate in accordance with, the provisions of the Federal Advisory Committee Act (FACA). 5 U.S.C. App. 2.
  As authorized by FACA, the BDAC will continue to be authorized to facilitate its work through informal subcommittees, or other subgroups of the BDAC, which shall report their activities and recommendations to the BDAC as a whole. 
WHO MAY APPLY FOR MEMBERSHIP 
The Commission seeks applications from representatives of various sectors of the communications industry, representatives of state and local regulators, and representatives of consumers and community organizations that wish to be considered for membership on the BDAC.  The Commission is particularly interested in receiving nominations and expressions of interest from individuals and organizations in the following categories:
· Rural Internet service providers that use licensed or unlicensed spectrum, fiber optics, copper wires, or coaxial cables, or any other means to offer high-speed broadband service;
· Urban Internet service providers that use licensed or unlicensed spectrum, fiber optics, copper wires, or coaxial cables, or any other means to offer high-speed broadband service;
· Independent network builders and networking equipment installers;
· Other individuals and entities involved in broadband deployment;
· Industry trade associations;
· Federal, state, local, and Tribal government agencies;
· Consumer and community organizations; and
· Qualified representatives of other stakeholders and interested parties with relevant experience.
Members will be selected to balance the expertise and viewpoints that are necessary to address effectively the issues to be considered by the BDAC.  Members are appointed as representatives of the communications industry, representatives of federal, state, local and Tribal regulators, or representatives of consumers and community organizations.  As appropriate, members may also be appointed for their individual expertise as “Special Government Employees.”  Because BDAC members seeking to serve in their individual capacities for their individual expertise may not be registered federal lobbyists, such nominees who are registered federal lobbyists will not be considered.   	
OBLIGATIONS OF MEMBERS AND BDAC MEETINGS
Members will serve at the discretion of the Chairman of the Commission.  Members must be willing to commit to a two (2)-year term of service from the date of the re-charter of the BDAC and should be willing and able to attend at least three (3) one- or two-day plenary BDAC meetings per year during the BDAC’s term.  Members also will be expected to participate in deliberations of at least one (1) subcommittee, working group, or other subgroup.  The time commitment for participation in any subcommittee, working group, or other subgroup may be substantial.  However, subcommittee, working group, or other subgroup meetings may be conducted informally, using suitable technology to facilitate the meetings, subject to oversight by the Designated Federal Officer of the BDAC.  
Meetings of the full BDAC shall be open to the public and timely notice of each meeting shall be published in the Federal Register and shall be further publicized through other appropriate vehicles.  All such meetings will be fully accessible to individuals with disabilities.

APPLICATION PROCEDURE, DEADLINE AND MEMBER APPOINTMENTS
All nominations should be provided to the Commission as soon as possible, but no later than January 10, 2019.
No specific nomination form is required; however, each nomination must include the following information:
· Name, title, and organization of the nominee and a description of the organization, sector or other interest the nominee will represent;
· Nominee’s mailing address, e-mail address, and telephone number;
· A statement summarizing the nominee’s qualifications and reasons why the nominee should be appointed to the BDAC;
· A statement, if the nominee will represent a specific organization, describing the organization as well as the benefit of having the organization represented on the BDAC; and
· A statement confirming that the nominee, if seeking appointment for the individual’s expertise and not as a representative of an organization or entity, is not a registered federal lobbyist. 
For applicants seeking to represent an organization or company, the applicant’s nomination to the BDAC must be confirmed by an authorized person (e.g., organization or company official) that such organization or company wants the nominated person to represent it on the BDAC.  For example, this confirmation may be in the following format: “I am [insert official’s name], the [insert official’s title] at the [insert name of organization - e.g., company, government entity, trade association, etc.], with responsibilities for [concise description of position].   My organization would like [insert proposed member’s name], who is currently [an employee of/consultant/attorney to the company], to serve as our representative on the Commission’s Broadband Deployment Advisory Committee.” 
This Public Notice is not intended to be the exclusive method by which the Commission will solicit nominations to identify qualified candidates; however, all candidates for membership on the BDAC will be subject to the same evaluation criteria.
All nominations, including the requisite statements listed above, should be submitted by e-mail to BDAC@fcc.gov.  
   	ACCESSIBLE FORMATS
To request materials in accessible formats for people with disabilities (Braille, large print, electronic files, audio format), send an e-mail to fcc504@fcc.gov or call the Consumer & Governmental Affairs Bureau at 202-418-0530 (voice), 202-418-0432 (TTY).
For additional information about the BDAC, please contact Paul D’Ari, Designated Federal Officer (DFO) of the BDAC, at paul.dari@fcc.gov or 202-418-1550; or the Deputy DFOs Deborah Salons at deborah.salons@fcc.gov or 202-418-0637, or Jiaming Shang at jiaming.shang@fcc.gov or 202-418-1303.

		
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