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FINANCING
The principles of e-Copernicus, Gregory L.
Rohde and Christopher McLean, are nationally recognized
leaders in telecommunications and broadband financing. In the past decade,
Rohde and McLean have been key leaders in the area of rural telecommunications
and have played central roles in
several government financing programs, including the Rural Broadband Loan program
administered by the Rural Utilities Service (RUS) which has made more than
$ 1billion low-interest loans available this year.
We offer
all the tools in modern infrastructure finance. We
can guide our clients through the inventory of available state, federal, and universal
service programs and can evaluate the merits of municipal bond, lease and equity finance.
We
provide our clients with a full range of broadband and telecommunications financing
options. We have extensive expertise in many
government grant and loan programs and, through our affiliate Aggregate Networks, we can
offer municipal financing solutions for broadband projects.
REVIEW:
e-Copernicus helps providers, organizations and communities assess:
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The available federal, state and local grant and loan programs
to finance telecommunications and broadband infrastructure deployment;
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The impact and availability of federal and state universal
service programs and policies;
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The feasibility of municipal bond and lease financing;
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Opportunities for strategic partnerships with carriers,
utilities, and government; and
Ø The relationship of homeland security and public safety
initiatives to telecommunications and broadband services.
ANALYSIS:
We work
closely with providers and communities to find the “best-fit” solution. We can help our clients focus their strategy and
business plan in a way that maximizes flexibility, manages risk and minimizes costs. Our financial analysis includes:
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Evaluation of a project’s viability and mission goals;
development of a business plan and feasibility analysis; defining a process for community
involvement; and implementation strategies;
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Evaluation of governmental financing programs and qualification
criteria available to the client;
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A network review of assets, relationships, architecture and
rights of way;
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A network “build vs. buy” analysis – identifying
existing fiber for lease or purchase;
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An “essentiality” analysis to leverage municipal
demand against infrastructure needs; and
Ø Analysis of sale-leaseback, bond, government and other financial
alternatives.
IMPLEMENTATION:
We assist
our clients from start to finish in obtaining financing.
Our services include application preparation, guidance through the
regulatory and political landscape, and representation before federal agencies and the
U.S. Congress.
CLIENTS:
We serve
a variety of clients including small startup IT companies, emerging telecommunications and
data service providers, major international telecommunications corporations, municipal
governments and non-profit organizations. Our
current and past client list includes General Motors and EchoStar Communications, Hudson
Valley Data Net, LifeLink Monitoring, InMarSat, BellSouth, Primedia, Extend America,
Prairie iNet, ATX Technologies, RFD-TV, the American Public Power Association and the
ComCARE Alliance.
ACHIEVEMENTS:
We
recently secured a $27 million low-interest loan for a broadband service provider serving
a rural community in an eastern state. Our
services for this client included the passage of special legislation, application
preparation, and securing the ultimate approval of the loan. Our consulting services have been key to several
clients in identifying federal grant and loan sources and helping them prepare
applications. We continue to work with those
clients and the relevant federal agencies to secure a successful outcome for them. We were also very active advisors and participants
in the passage of the Broadband Loan Program (Section 6103 of the Farm Security and Rural
Investment Act of 2002).
While in
public service and prior to establishing our consulting business, we played central roles
in a number of initiatives, including the establishment of the broadband pilot program,
which was the precursor to Section 6103 of the Farm Security and Rural Investment Act of
2002. We also managed two major federal
agencies, each with administrative budgets over $100 million, and significant grant and
loan programs while serving in the Administration.
In the
Executive Branch, Rohde and McLean helped shape the nation’s telecommunications
policies and were leading advocates and architects of efforts to close the digital divide. At NTIA and RUS, both administered important loan
and grant programs for telecommunications infrastructure.
The NTIA Technology Opportunity Program provides grants to deploy innovative
telecommunications and information uses. The
RUS telecommunications, broadband and distance learning and telemedicine loan and grant
programs make hundreds of millions of dollars of financing available to enhance
telecommunications infrastructure and applications in rural areas. Both are also leading experts and advocates on
high cost, low income and e-rate universal service programs which, if properly used, can
enhance the feasibility of telecommunication projects, and both have deep backgrounds in
the use of advanced wire line, wireless and satellite technologies.
Their
agencies published definitive reports on rural broadband availability, the digital divide,
the all-hazards warming network, critical infrastructure and spectrum use. They also authored numerous filings at the Federal
Communications Commission and other regulatory agencies and have testified before Congress
on a number of telecommunications issues.
Rick
Kaufman and Laurence Lewis of Aggregate Networks bring on the ground experience in
finance, law and telecommunications. They
have decades of experience in establishing new companies, site selection, and placing
finance for small and major companies.
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