86-1302.

Terms, defined.

For purposes of the Nebraska Broadband Bridge Act:

(1) Commission means the Public Service Commission;

(2) Development costs means the amount paid for project planning, obtaining construction permits, construction of facilities including both middle-mile and last-mile infrastructure, equipment, and installation and testing of the broadband Internet service;

(3) Digital inclusion means access to and use of information and communication technologies by all individuals and communities, including the most disadvantaged individuals and communities;

(4) Eligible telecommunications carrier means an eligible telecommunications carrier as designated under 47 U.S.C. 214(e), as such section existed on January 1, 2021;

(5) Grant means money provided to an applicant for purposes of a project under the act;

(6) Program means the Broadband Bridge Program created under the act;

(7) Project means the development of a broadband network in an unserved or underserved area;

(8) Project area means the geographical area in which a broadband network is to be developed pursuant to a grant;

(9) Provider means a broadband Internet service provider, including any telecommunications company, cable television company, or wireless network provider that provides broadband Internet service;

(10) Speed test means a measurement of download and upload speeds for access to broadband Internet service between a specific consumer location and a specific remote server location that meets the specifications of the commission;

(11) Underserved area means a geographical area of the state which lacks broadband Internet service providing access to the Internet at speeds of at least one hundred megabits per second for downloading and twenty megabits per second for uploading; and

(12) Unserved area means a geographical area of the state which lacks broadband Internet service providing access to the Internet at speeds of at least twenty-five megabits per second for downloading and three megabits per second for uploading.