Broadband stimulus ‘underserved’ rule becomes more flexible | Unfiltered

The federal government’s definition of “underserved areas” for purposes of awarding broadband stimulus funds has caused consternation among some applicants – in particular municipal leaders who feel it excludes them from the program. For example, the chief information officer for San Jose, Calif., recently complained of a downtown fire station that is underserved but sits in an area that wouldn’t qualify. A city official in Northfield, Minn., said she doubted any of her state’s cities would qualify.

But further clarification of these rules may ease some applicants’ minds as they prove more flexible than previously thought. The feds have defined “underserved areas” as areas in which...