Questions arise on broadband stimulus agenda (Opinion)

Anticipation is building as the calendar counts down to the first quarterly report on stimulus spending. States must begin reporting on the use of federal economic recovery funds on Oct. 11. Even in the near real-time world of the Obama administration, it will take some time for the numbers to roll up -- if they do -- and a picture to emerge of what we are getting for our stimulus spending.

"We could speculate on where we are going to be," said Robert Atkinson, president of the nonpartisan Information Technology and Innovation Foundation (ITIF) in Washington, D.C. "It can help jump-start the smart grid market, it will significantly help jump-start the health IT transformation, and will make a down payment on universal broadband coverage..."