The Rhode Island Commerce Corporation is seeking proposals from eligible proposers to receive funding for designing and building broadband infrastructure projects in unserved and underserved areas of Rhode Island. The project aims to expand high-speed internet access across the state, with a focus on providing reliable connections that deliver at least 100 Mbps of download speed and 20 Mbps of upload speed, and latency equal to or less than 100 milliseconds. Proposers must submit a proposal that includes a detailed project plan, budget, and timeline, as well as information on their financial capability, managerial capability, and technical capability. The Corporation will evaluate proposals based on their responsiveness, financial sustainability, and technical merit. Some key points to consider include: • The project must be designed to deliver service that reliably meets or exceeds download speeds of 100 Mbps, upload speeds of 20 Mbps, and latency of less than 100 milliseconds. • The deployment must be completed and services must be available within four years of grant award. • A minimum of 25% matching funds is required for deployment projects. • Proposers must dedicate this match to the project and it cannot be used for other program activities. • The Corporation will allow proposers to exclude select locations that are excessively high-cost or would otherwise make the project not economically viable. • Proposers may bid on one or more project areas, and each proposal must be submitted separately. • The Corporation expects proposers to sub-contract with specialized organizations for technical components of the services. • Proposers must indicate in their proposal if they are proposing to use subcontracted services. • A minimum of 25% matching funds is required for deployment projects.