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