Broadband stimulus: Feds unveil funding details : For-profit companies allowed to seek loans, grants

The federal government has, at last, spelled out who may seek the grants and loans provided in the broadband portion of the 2009 American Reinvestment and Recovery Act, and the process for doing so. The responsible agencies – the Rural Utilities Service and the National Telecommunications and Information Administration – also have clarified questions surrounding the definition of broadband; the role of the middle mile; network management; and whether for-profit companies are eligible for any of the $7.2 billion in deployment funds.

NTIA and RUS on July 1 released a 121-page “notice of funds availability” for the broadband economic stimulus initiative. But the nomenclature of that document is deceptive: It’s important to note the first round of recipients will not actually be announced until early November; the government aims to distribute the money no more than 30 days later. Two more rounds will ensue, although the agencies did not provide further timelines except to say all money will be dispersed by Sept. 30, 2010...