34 Tex. Admin. Code § 16.7 — Preferences

The office may give preference to applications and make awards decisions based upon the following factors:

# (1)

cost effectiveness and overall impact;

# (2)

geographic location;

# (3)

the latest state or federal broadband data;

# (4)

the number of households or businesses that will be served due to the reimbursement being requested;

# (5)

involvement of broadband networks owned, operated by, or affiliated with local governments, non-profits, or cooperatives;

# (6)

completion of the pole replacement and payment of all costs of the pole replacement;

# (7)

investments in fiber-optic infrastructure;

# (8)

affordability of broadband services in a target area;

# (9)

participation in federal programs that provide low-income consumers with subsidies for broadband internet access services;

# (10)

documentation of existing broadband internet service performance;

# (11)

download speeds and upload speeds, including user speed tests resulting from completion of the pole replacement;

# (12)

community involvement in the pole replacement planning process, including feedback from community members, community organizations, and business owners;

# (13)

business practices and workforce information, including the following:
(A) the applicant's workforce meets high safety and training standards;
(B) the applicant prioritizes the hiring of local workers or workers from historically disadvantaged communities;
(C) the applicant ensures that its contractors and subcontractors meet high labor standards; and
(D) the applicant has no recent violations of federal and state labor and employment laws; and

# (14)

any additional factors listed in a NOFA published by the office.
Source Note: The provisions of this §16.7 adopted to be effective March 17, 2022, 47 TexReg 1294.