Date: September 2023
Deciding the best place to invest in broadband infrastructure in Idaho depends on many different factors, one of which is where a proposed broadband project should be built. By integrating a map into the existing grant application process already established at the Idaho Department of Commerce, we were not only able to capture all proposed project areas, but also report back immediately to the applicant the number of unserved and underserved addresses. Using this tool ensures that all applicants base their proposals on the same source data set. An added benefit is that, during the ‘challenge period,’ it was immediately obvious which projects overlapped.
“When working through the challenge and rebuttal phases of the grant application process, it was great to see so many applicants working together to ensure projects didn’t overlap or overbuild each other and the State’s map directly contributed to this,” said Idaho Department of Commerce Broadband Program Manager, Ramón Hobdey-Sánchez. “The ITS Broadband Mapping Team has been an instrumental part of the state’s success and is a huge asset to stakeholders, applicants, and the general public.”
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