A. Applicant Eligibility

Grant awards are limited to one grant per ILEC per state fiscal year. Based on Wisconsin State Statute and recommendations provided by the State 9-1-1 Subcommittee, an ILEC must meet all of the following criteria to be eligible to apply for grants:

• The applicant must be acting as an “incumbent local exchange carrier” as defined under 47 USC 251 (h) with active customers in Wisconsin as of March 29, 2024, and must be operating as an “originating service provider” as defined in Wis. Stats. § 256.35(1)(es).
• Allowable costs have been incurred by the applicant for the benefit of its Wisconsin customers on or after March 29, 2024, and prior to submitting a grant application.
• Allowable costs have not already been reimbursed by another governmental entity, such as a local unit of government, another state, or the federal government.
• At the time of the application, the applicant must certify that:
  • All transport paths and/or aggregation services used by the ILEC network(s) are connected to the Emergency Services IP Network (ESInet) via two separate and independent IP-based Points of Interconnection (POIs).
  • The ILEC transport layer, including any transport used in conjunction with third-party aggregation services, is sized and designed in such a way that it shall prevent any single points of failure from the ILEC network to the IP-based ESInet POIs.
  • The ILEC has followed interconnection procedures required by the Public Safety Answering Point’s (PSAP’s) chosen ESInet provider.
  • The ILEC delivers 9-1-1 calls to a PSAP’s chosen ESInet provider using IP-based Session Initiated Protocols (SIP) format. If the ILEC is applying for costs associated with the database used to operate NG9-1-1 (i.e., Location Information Server (LIS)), then the ILEC also delivers 9-1-1 calls with location information embedded in the call signaling using Presence Information Data Format – Location Object (PIDF-LO).
  • The ILEC network(s), including any third-party aggregation services used to deliver 9-1-1 calls complies with all applicable commonly accepted standards, including but not limited to:
    • Industry standards for reliability and security
    • Commonly accepted NG9-1-1 standards (e.g. National Emergency Number Association (NENA i3))
    • Cybersecurity recommendations and best practices (e.g. Task Force on Optimal PSAP Architecture (TFOPA), Communications Security, Reliability, and Interoperability Council (CSRIC), adherence to the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) Cybersecurity Framework)
    • Federal Communications Commission (FCC) rules and regulations (e.g. FCC 24-78)

B. Application Process and Requirements

Grant applications will be accepted on a first come, first serve basis during the application period noted in the formal grant announcement as determined by DMA. Additional information will be collected as part of the application to ensure grant funds are allocated effectively and to aid in any required state reporting.

All documentation and other information required with each grant application will be published in the formal grant announcement. This does not preclude DMA from requesting additional information to validate eligibility requirements or reimbursement.