AT&T: Stimulus funds for institutions, not service providers
June 3, 2009
Operators of all stripes are lining up to snag a piece of the $7.2 billion in broadband stimulus funding. But AT&T says the money should be used to fund underserved schools, hospitals and other institutions directly, no service provider required. Is this an anti-competitive move, or altruistic advocacy?
“NTIA – which will distribute the bulk of the Recovery Act’s broadband funding – can achieve the overarching goals of the Act most efficiently and effectively by prioritizing financial support in both unserved and underserved areas to public and non-profit institutions,” Jeff Brueggeman, vice president of public policy at AT&T, told xchange. “By funding ‘anchor institutions’ directly – including hospitals, libraries, schools, community colleges, public-safety organizations, community centers, and even governmental agencies – NTIA will be able to address multiple Recovery Act objectives simultaneously...”
Operators of all stripes are lining up to snag a piece of the $7.2 billion in broadband stimulus funding. But AT&T says the money should be used to fund underserved schools, hospitals and other institutions directly, no service provider required. Is this an anti-competitive move, or altruistic advocacy?
“NTIA – which will distribute the bulk of the Recovery Act’s broadband funding – can achieve the overarching goals of the Act most efficiently and effectively by prioritizing financial support in both unserved and underserved areas to public and non-profit institutions,” Jeff Brueggeman, vice president of public policy at AT&T, told xchange. “By funding ‘anchor institutions’ directly – including hospitals, libraries, schools, community colleges, public-safety organizations, community centers, and even governmental agencies – NTIA will be able to address multiple Recovery Act objectives simultaneously...”
posted by Connect Ohio at
7:01 AM
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