Government enforces the status quo with broadband stimulus bucks

The two national agencies responsible for allocating $7.2 billion in broadband grants as part of the stimulus bill today released the rules governing the process and said the government would provide about $4 billion in loans for the first of three funding rounds. That money will start flowing to projects in November.

It’s a bittersweet moment for folks hoping for better broadband in the U.S., as the rules don’t mandate faster speeds or abide by current net neutrality regulations, but will send a lot of money to both states and private companies hoping to build out Internet access...