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commenters found the interim final rule's requirement to limit projects to those designed to <br />provide service to unserved or underserved households or businesses to be appropriately focused <br />on hard -to -reach areas. In contrast, other commenters argued that this requirement was too <br />restrictive and that it would limit the ability for some recipients, particularly local governments, <br />to invest in broadband infrastructure. <br />Separately, some commenters supported the interim final rule's requirement that eligible <br />projects be built to reliable speeds of 100 Mbps symmetrical, with an exception for areas where <br />it was impracticable, and encouragement that projects be built with fiber-optic infrastructure, <br />while a few others argued that the interim final rule should remain technology -neutral and that <br />lower speed standards would be more appropriate for today's usage needs. <br />Summary of Treasury Response: In response to the comments, the final rule expands <br />eligible areas for investment by requiring recipients to invest in projects designed to provide <br />service to households and businesses with an identified need for additional broadband <br />infrastructure investment, which would include but not be limited to a lack of broadband service <br />reliably delivering certain speeds. In addition, as discussed further below, the final rule further <br />supports the expansion of affordable access to broadband service for households by requiring <br />that recipients use a provider that participates in a qualifying affordability plan. Treasury <br />encourages recipients to prioritize projects that are designed to provide service to locations not <br />currently served by a wireline connection that reliably delivers at least 100 Mbps of download <br />speed and 20 Mbps of upload speed. <br />The final rule maintains the interim final rule's requirement that eligible projects be <br />designed to, upon completion, reliably meet or exceed symmetrical 100 Mbps download and <br />upload speeds. As was the case under the interim final rule, in cases where it is not practicable, <br />296 <br />