Agenda - Council - 09/13/2022 - Laserfiche WebLink

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technologies, such as copper and other outdated technologies, to be deemed presumptively unreliable. Other commenters supported the interim final rule's approach on eligible areas for investment or suggested tightening eligibility even further. They argued that higher speed thresholds beyond 25/3 Mbps would likely lead to investments in or building of new broadband infrastructure in areas already served by broadband at speeds these commenters considered sufficient; these areas, commenters suggested, are less in need of federal assistance and permitting investments here could divert funding away from rural areas to more densely populated areas. Treasury Response: The final rule expands eligible areas for investment by requiring recipients to invest in projects designed to provide service to households and businesses with an identified need for additional broadband infrastructure investment. Recipients have flexibility to identify a need for additional broadband infrastructure investment: examples of need include lack of access to a connection that reliably meets or exceeds symmetrical 100 Mbps download and upload speeds, lack of affordable access to broadband service, or lack of reliable broadband service. Recipients are encouraged to prioritize projects that are designed to provide service to locations not currently served by a wireline connection that reliably delivers at least 100 Mbps of download speed and 20 Mbps of upload speed, as many commenters indicated that those without such service constitute hard -to -reach areas in need of subsidized broadband deployment. Households and businesses with an identified need for additional broadband infrastructure investment do not have to be the only ones in the service area served by an eligible broadband infrastructure project. Indeed, serving these households and businesses may require a 302