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