Internet stimulus grant givers want community coalitions - WSJ.com

WASHINGTON (Dow Jones)--The U.S. Departments of Agriculture and Commerce are on the verge of publishing guidelines for $7.2 billion in economic stimulus grants for high-speed Internet projects around the country.

A Commerce Department official said Friday that the agencies are hoping the rules encourage communities to bring their disparate groups into coalitions - hospitals, colleges, public safety groups, community centers, etc.

"A large broadband pipe allows for lots of silos in various communities to come together," said Mark Seifert, a senior adviser at the Commerce Department's telecommunications unit. ...