Plans for fast links in rural areas due - USATODAY.com

Proposals are due Friday for the first of three rounds of funding for federal broadband stimulus projects aimed at driving broadband into underserved parts of America. Already, there's a lot of griping about the $7.2 billion program. At the top of the list: red tape and application rules, which run several hundred pages in length.

The program, ordered by Congress, is part of President Obama's plan for reinvigorating the economy...