§ 7516. Connectivity Fund

(a) There is created a Connectivity Fund for the purpose of providing support to the High-Cost Program established under section 7515 of this chapter and the Connectivity Initiative established under section 7515b of this chapter. The fiscal agent shall determine annually, on or before November 1, the amount of monies available to the Connectivity Fund. Such funds shall be apportioned as follows: 45 percent to the High-Cost Program and 55 percent to the Connectivity Initiative.

(b) Of the money transferred to the Connectivity Fund pursuant to subsection 7523(b) of this title, up to $120,000.00 shall be appropriated annually to the Department of Public Service to fund a Rural Broadband Technical Assistance Specialist whose duties shall include providing outreach, technical assistance, and other support services to communications union districts established pursuant to chapter 82 of this title and other units of government, nonprofit organizations, cooperatives, and for-profit businesses for the purpose of expanding broadband service to unserved and underserved locations. Support services also may include providing business model templates for various approaches, including formation of or partnership with a cooperative, a communications union district, a rural economic development infrastructure district, an electric utility, or a new or existing Internet service provider as operator of the network. Any remaining funds shall be used to support the Connectivity Initiative established under section 7515b of this title. (Added 2013, No. 190 (Adj. Sess.), § 4, eff. June 16, 2014; amended 2015, No. 41, § 10; 2019, No. 31, § 8; 2019, No. 79, § 3, eff. June 20, 2019.)