Category — Communications and Information Technology

The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (”Recovery Act”) included $7.2 billion of new spending on broadband infrastructure deployment and related broadband matters. The National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) and the Rural Utility Service (RUS), a division of the U.S. Department of Agriculture, recently released a joint Notice of Funds Available (NOFA) outlining the application procedures, conditions applicable to the funding, and application evaluation criteria for the first round of Recovery Act broadband funding. Approximately $4 billion of funding is available under this NOFA. Remaining Recovery Act broadband funding is expected to be awarded in two subsequent funding rounds pursuant to separate notices. NTIA and RUS reserve the right to modify the funding rules for such subsequent funding rounds.

Click here to read the full alert.

On May 29, 2009, the White House announced that it is revising restrictions placed on lobbyists from communicating with executive branch officials regarding funds under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (Recovery Act).  More detailed guidance is forthcoming from the Office of Management and Budget (OMB), but the statement released on Friday makes clear that the absolute ban on lobbyists communicating orally or participating in meetings with executive branch officials has been revised.

President Obama issued a memorandum on March 20, 2009 prohibiting registered lobbyists from having oral communications with government officials about specific Recovery Act projects or applications and requiring that government officials only consider the views of registered lobbyists on such issues if the views were submitted in writing. The memorandum also required that oral discussions of general policy matters regarding the Recovery Act made by registered lobbyists be publicly disclosed. (Please click here to read our alert on the March 20 memorandum.)

Read the full alert here.

The stimulus package, signed into law on February 17 by President Obama, will have a dramatic impact on businesses and investors, reshaping different sectors of our economy. The Obama administration and Democratic Party-led Congress are poised to implement many additional measures that will influence the investment climate. A panel of Akin Gump lawyers recently participated in a roundtable discussion, addressing the strategies and opportunities these new policy realities present for investors. The discussion covered a wide range of sectors, including—

• transportation and infrastructure
• traditional and alternative energy and the environment
• broadband, FCC and communications
• health care.

The program was co-hosted by Public Strategies, Inc. and moderated by Prakash Mehta.  Akin Gump presenters included Tom Davidson, Susan Lent, Hank Terhune and Jorge Lopez.

Click here to review the presentation materials.

Read an expanded version of Akin Gump’s Communications and Information Technology alert on the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act here.

The $787 billion economic stimulus bill, the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (”Recovery Act” or the “Act”), was enacted by President Obama on February 17th after a fractious and largely party-line debate in Congress. The law contains $7.2 billion of new spending on broadband infrastructure deployment and related broadband matters, of which $4.7 billion will be administered by the National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) and $2.5 billion will be administered by the Rural Utility Service (RUS), a division of the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA).

Read the full alert here.