Broadband stimulus: After Friday deadline, waiting begins

Friday is D-Day for the communications companies and other entities hoping to snag some of the $7.2 billion in broadband stimulus funding. But how many will actually make the deadline? There’s been precious little time between the release of the requirements and this, the first of three application-submission deadlines. The other two dates have yet to be announced. Nonetheless, there will be parties that do get their documents in by Aug. 14 and others that receive deadline waivers up to Sept. 1. The question is, what comes next?

The short answer is: waiting. Each application must undergo evaluation; depending on how many companies and organizations apply, it’s unclear how long that will take. The only fuzzy timeline by which to operate is that the government aims to announce winners some time in November. RUS and NTIA then plan to distribute the appropriate funds no more than 30 days later...