Consortiums will be likely winners of broadband stimulus funding - GovPro article

Government groups or non-profit consortiums that bring private companies and government entities together may be the big winners when broadband stimulus awards are announced in early December.

The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, the National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA), along with the Department of Agriculture's Rural Utilities Service (RUS) program, is granting and loaning $7.2 billion in stimulus money to bring broadband to unserved and underserved areas. The first-round recipients will receive $4 billion, with the government releasing the remaining funds in 2010...

Weekly wrap: Rating agency slams Conn. on borrowing

One of the keys to economic recovery and the nation’s future growth is access to high speed Internet service, especially in rural areas. The Obama administration committed $7.2 billion in stimulus money to expand broadband access, with the first grants scheduled to be awarded in November.

Make that December now. On Wednesday (Oct. 28), federal officials told Congress of a delay in processing the 2,200 grant applications. Larry Strickling, head of the federal agency distributing the money, said, according to the Wall Street Journal, “We’re going to take a few more weeks here to get this right...”

Missouri, Illinois make push for their share of billions in broadband grant money - STLtoday.com

Call it the broadband lottery. Across the land, some 2,200 communities, schools, local governments, nonprofits and businesses are hoping to cash in on billions of free federal dollars aimed at improving the nation's Internet access.

Winning won't be easy, not with $28 billion in requests chasing the $4 billion set aside in the initial round of funding. Missouri and Illinois alone account for some $2 billion worth of those broadband dreams...

Ohio has braggin’ rights!

Two weeks ago in Columbus, 500+ venture capitalists, entrepreneurs, and government leaders gathered to hear about the accomplishments of The Ohio Capital Fund (OCF) and our State’s growing venture capital community.

For those of you not familiar, OCF provides incentives for investors from outside Ohio to invest in companies based here). Due to the work of many, including the OCF, the Ohio Department of Development, and all of the other members of the venture community - Ohio has earned some serious bragging rights! Among the many great accomplishments shared at the OCF Summit, here are some of the most compelling...

Stimulus emerges as issue in 23rd race

WASHINGTON — The federal economic stimulus has poured about $100 million into the 23rd Congressional District, but has saved or created only about 200 jobs, by government estimates.

The mixed performance of the stimulus — and incomplete or incorrect statistics about its effects — are adding fuel to Northern New York's congressional race. Opponents of president Obama's agenda are trying to use the issue to attack Democrat William L. Owens and, to a lesser degree, Republican Dierdre K. Scozzafava, who have both said they would have voted for it in Congress...

Pickaway County’s rural residents slowly getting access to fast Internet - Business First of Columbus:

For rural Pickaway County residents, the recession’s silver lining may be a faster Web connection.

Chris Cooper, president of Intelliwave LLC, is working to bring broadband Internet access to those in the county coping with sluggish dial-up service...

FairPoint's broadband effort relies on stimulus

FairPoint Communications's plans for expanding broadband in the northern counties of New Hampshire depend largely on whether it secures $10.8 million in federal stimulus money. How the company's applications for that money will be affected by its filing for bankruptcy protection this week is unclear.

The company has three New Hampshire grants before the National Telecommunications and Information Administration, two for broadband expansion and one for $1.7 million for educating people about how to take full advantage of broadband access. The agency is considering applications totaling $28 billion, about seven times the amount of money available. Mark Tolbert, a spokesman for that office, said he couldn't comment on a pending application but said each will get a "top-to-bottom due diligence review..."

New York broadband stimulus: Gov. Patterson releases stimulus recommendations sent to feds

StimulatingBroadband.com 10/29/09 San Francisco - The Administration of New York Governor David Patterson (D-NY) today released its communication, dated October 14, to the Obama Administration outlining broadband stimulus funding priorities for the Empire State under the federal Recovery Act.

In a 10-page letter (see: Resources, below) addressed to the National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) of the U.S. Department of Commerce, Patterson's federal Recovery Act manager, Senior Advisor Timothy J. Gilchrist, endorsed a package of applications covering multiple areas of New York State...

Broadband stimulus delays spur Congressional frustration

Now that applicants for the first round of broadband stimulus funding have learned that they’ll have to wait at least another month before knowing whether they’ll get any money from the government, elected officials are taking issue with the Commerce Department’s National Telecommunications and Information Administration and the Rural Utilities Service.

Influential senators reportedly expressed concerns about the broadband stimulus program during an oversight hearing Tuesday...

Some towns may never get broadband Internet without stimulus funding: Applicant

It appears to be more difficult for small, unincorporated communities that lack unique ZIP codes or otherwise fail to fit the federal government’s template of the “community,” as outlined in the federal broadband stimulus program, to receive grants and loans, one applicant told TMCnet recently.

Rogers, Ark.-based Foundation Telecommunications, Inc. – a company that serves broadcast, cable, business, government and education clients worldwide – is seeking $5.2 million through the program to bring its two-way commercial satellite Internet service to 115 small communities in Alabama, Arkansas, Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky, Minnesota, Missouri, North Carolina, Ohio, Oklahoma and Tennessee...

WiMAX providers have an advantage over LTE in broadband stimulus awards: Expert

WiMAX (News - Alert) holds definite advantages over competitive wireless technologies such as LTE that make its providers front-runners for federal broadband stimulus funding, an official with a Morrisville, N.C.-based provider of end-to-end solutions for mobility and fixed network applications told TMCnet in a recent podcast.

According to Gary Croke, who works in product marketing at Harris Stratex Networks (News - Alert), one major advantage of WiMAX is that it’s a wireless access technology that’s cheaper and faster to deploy than fixed access solutions such as fiber, cable or DSL...

Broadband Data transparency workshop/webinar

NTIA will host a public meeting regarding data related to broadband Internet access that the agency collects, data needs of researchers, and future broadband research. The meeting will be held at the U.S. Department of Commerce, Washington, D.C., on October 30, 2009, from 1:00 p.m. to 3:00 p.m. Eastern Daylight Time. There will be a webcast of this event...

Telvent tracking progress and impact of broadband stimulus awards for Smart Grid projects

Telvent, a global IT solutions and business information services provider, is reportedly sponsoring SmartGridNews.com, a special website where visitors can track the progress and impact of broadband stimulus awards for Smart Grid projects around the country.

The US federal government has appropriated $7.2 billion for building-out the country’s broadband infrastructure as part of the The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009. The broadband stimulus funds, which are mostly aimed at bringing high speed Internet service to rural areas, are being administered by the Department of Agriculture's Rural Utilities Service (RUS) and The Department of Commerce's National Telecommunications Information Administration (NTIA). These funds will be used to bring high speed broadband to “unserved” and “underserved” communities across the U.S., in the hopes that this will increase jobs, spur investments in technology and infrastructure, and provide long-term economic benefits...

Libraries highlighted in recent broadband discussions, activity

As one of the founding members of the Schools, Health and Libraries Broadband (SHLB) Coalition, the American Library Association’s (ALA) Washington Office has actively participated in communicating the role of anchor institutions in national broadband build-out to members of Congress, the National Telecommunications and Information Association (NTIA) and the Federal Communications Commission (FCC).

Our messaging is finding its way into the formal discussions, as many leaders in Congress are now carrying the torch...

CAGW wants broadband stimulus grants scrutinized

A nonprofit group formed to eliminate waste, fraud, abuse, and mismanagement in government is calling on federal officials to take a closer look at applications submitted for broadband stimulus funding.

Citizens Against Government Waste this week objected to 23 broadband stimulus grant applications totaling $550 million, saying the proposals themselves raise a number of questions. The applications are pending before the National Telecommunications Information Administration, the U.S. Department of Commerce agency that advises the president on telecom policy...

RUS skating on thin ice

One of the most notable things I observed at yesterday's Senate Commerce Committee oversight hearing on the broadband stimulus was the precarious situation that RUS finds itself in.

For starters, Sen. Rockefeller went out of his way multiple times to suggest that if he had it his way that RUS wouldn't have gotten any money from the broadband stimulus. He said that at the beginning, and then made another jab at the end where when referring to both Adelstein and Strickling he said that they represent one and a half agencies, alluding to his belief that RUS doesn't even constitute a whole agency...

Middle-mile investment crucial to rural broadband, entrepreneur tells Congress - The Hill's Hillicon Valley

Earlier today, the House Small Business Committee examined some of the problems small firms are encountering when applying for stimulus funds for broadband projects.

James Gleason, chief executive of New Wave Communications, was the only small business owner to testify before the committee, and he was acting as a representative of the American Cable Association. (ACA represents about 900 smaller and medium-sized cable firms...)

FairPoint's broadband effort relies on stimulus

FairPoint Communications's plans for expanding broadband in the northern counties of New Hampshire depend largely on whether it secures $10.8 million in federal stimulus money. How the company's applications for that money will be affected by its filing for bankruptcy protection this week is unclear.

The company has three New Hampshire grants before the National Telecommunications and Information Administration, two for broadband expansion and one for $1.7 million for educating people about how to take full advantage of broadband access. The agency is considering applications totaling $28 billion, about seven times the amount of money available. Mark Tolbert, a spokesman for that office, said he couldn't comment on a pending application but said each will get a "top-to-bottom due diligence review..."

Texas companies get in line for stimulus funds to expand broadband Internet access | State | St...

Dozens of Texas companies and a few cities are vying for a slice of stimulus money aimed at providing speedy Internet access to everyone in the country.

The $787 billion federal stimulus bill signed by President Barack Obama in February includes $7.2 billion to expand access to broadband Internet. Most of the money is expected to go toward beefing up access in rural areas, but some local cities hope to receive funding to add more computers to libraries...

Broadband agencies receiving scrutiny over grant delay

After federal officials announced that the broadband stimulus grant awards are now pushed back until December, acts disappointment and criticism received about the additional delay shouldn’t come as a surprise.

With over 2,200 companies awaiting their piece of the $7.2 billion stimulus funding pie, two U.S. agencies – the U.S. Rural Utilities Service, or “RUS,” and the National Telecommunications and Information Administration, or “NTIA,” – with the heavy task of distributing this money over the next year heard complaints from an upset U.S. senator...

First round of broadband stimulus grants delayed

While SMBs, major corporations and various cities have been anxiously awaiting news on who will be receiving government funds for the broadband stimulus movement, the waiting has just been prolonged.

Applications will have to wait an extra month, as the first broadband stimulus grants award release were recently pushed back until December, a month later than expected...

GAO issues warning about broadband stimulus program

It should not come as any surprise -- given earlier delays -- that the first project awards under the the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act’s “broadband stimulus” program will be late.

The program is supposed to allocate $7.2 billion to provide broadband services or training to rural and other underserved communities, through the Department of Commerce’s National Telecommunications and Information Administration and the Department of Agriculture’s Rural Utilities Service...

$3.4 billion for smart grid projects? Let’s make a broadband deal! « Fighting the next good fight

Yesterday, the Feds awarded $3.4 billion to 100 smart grid projects across the U.S. There were about 400 total proposals. Since these are 50-50 matching grants, that means total dollars being queued up by these entities for smart grids is quite substantial.

For public and private sector organizations seeking broadband ARRA grants or planning to build networks without these grants, this smart grid investment could have stimulating effect. Those who stand to really benefit are urban areas submitting broadband adoption and public computer center proposals, and urban areas that may have given up on ARRA altogether after seeing the NOFA rules...

Broadband stimulus delays continue

It should not come as any surprise--given earlier delays--that the first project awards under the the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act's "broadband stimulus" program will be late. Some might not happen at all, unless they can adequately document that there is no existing provider able to provide service in project areas.

The program is supposed to allocate $7.2 billion to provide broadband services or training to rural and other underserved communities, through the Department of Commerce’s National Telecommunications and Information Administration and the Department of Agriculture’s Rural Utilities Service...

Broadband stimulus funds to support projects with 'measurable impact: Meraki

As officials from numerous cities and organizations wait for federal officials to announce recipients of the first $4 billion in broadband stimulus funds next month to boost high-speed Internet connections in rural areas, one thing is clear. Not everyone will be satisfied with the outcome.

With $28 billion in request received, there’s not enough money to go around. So, how will the powers that be decide what projects deserve funding?...

Small business committee examines broadband stimulus - The Hill's Hillicon Valley

The House Small Business Committee is holding a hearing right now to evaluate the impact of broadband stimulus investments on small businesses.

Since telecom giants like Verizon and Comcast decided not to apply for broadband grants, small firms should win a sizable chunk of available funds, said Rep. Nydia M. Velazquez (D-NY), Chairwoman of the committee...

FCC votes in favor of Net Neutrality | Daily Yonder | Keep It Rural

The issue of net neutrality – whether everyone is entitled to equal treatment in accessing and delivering data, services or applications over the Internet – has been contentious nearly since the inception of the World Wide Web. But in the days leading up to last week’s formal Federal Communication Commission vote on net neutrality rules, the debate’s noise level went through the roof.

Generally, the large telecom and cable companies such as AT&T and Comcast, with existing Internet access services, oppose requirements of net neutrality, arguing that these rules will stifle innovation by restricting commercial rewards. The big telecoms would like to be able to negotiate special partnerships and impose added fees for carrying some types of Internet content...

FCC may take back TV airwaves - WSJ.com

WASHINGTON—Federal regulators are considering taking back some airwaves from television broadcasters and auctioning them off to wireless companies to increase the availability of wireless broadband services.

Federal Communications Commission Chairman Julius Genachowski has warned that the U.S. doesn't have enough airwaves set aside for wireless broadband service in the future, and the agency is looking at a variety of ways to remedy that shortage...

Hutchison: Oversight of broadband funding in Democratic stimulus bill inadequate

(Media-Newswire.com) - WASHINGTON, D.C. – Senator Kay Bailey Hutchison ( R-Texas ), the Ranking Member on the Senate Commerce, Science, and Transportation Committee, said today that broadband funding oversight was inadequate during a hearing on the future of broadband service in the United States.

“Current broadband oversight plans appear to be inadequate,” said Senator Hutchison. “I had significant concerns during the Stimulus debate about moving too quickly to deploy public funds before the FCC completes its report on a national broadband plan, and before completing national broadband mapping efforts. Grants must be awarded to areas that are substantially underserved or completely lack infrastructure, and we must ensure that projects are completed on time, within their budgets, and without waste, fraud and abuse. The agencies charged with administering these programs have not convinced me that they have an adequate plan or sufficient staff to provide post-grant oversight of these projects through their completion...”

Broadband stimulus grants delayed until December - InternetNews.com

Facing a flood of applications for the first pool of stimulus money allocated for broadband projects, officials from the agencies administering the programs told a Senate panel today that the first grants and loans won't be issued until mid-December, about a month later than they had initially planned.

"We're going to take a few more weeks here to make sure we get this right," Lawrence Strickling, the assistant secretary of commerce for communications and information, told members of the Senate Commerce Committee at an oversight hearing on the broadband stimulus programs...

Bennet Kelley: Net Neutrality, Green Tech and the Pong Republicans

Lost in the cacophony of rhetoric over President Obama’s stimulus plan, health care, climate change and internet neutrality initiatives, is the common thread in each issue -- making America more competitive in a 21st century economy. While the “pro-business Republicans” hope to score political points by answering “No” to each proposal, in each case their success will be at the expense of American business and our global competitiveness.

This has been especially true in dealing with issues of technology such as broadband deployment and Internet neutrality (aka Net Neutrality). The U.S. has fallen significantly behind its European and Asian counterparts both in terms of broadband penetration and average download speed, ranking 24th among nations in terms of broadband subscribers and 28th in average Internet connection speeds...

First broadband stimulus grants are delayed - WSJ.com

WASHINGTON – The first broadband stimulus grants won't be awarded until December, a month later than expected, federal officials said Tuesday, citing the complexity of the 2,200 applications received.

"We're going to take a few more weeks here to get this right. We absolutely understand the need to get the dollars out," said Larry Strickling, head of the Commerce Department's National Telecommunications and Information Administration, which is giving out some of the $7.2 billion in stimulus funding set aside for broadband Internet lines...

NTIA, RUS to delay announcement of broadband bid winners - 2009-10-27 16:43:14 EDT | Broadcasting & Cable

The naming of winning bidders in the broadband stimulus grant/loan program will be delayed by a month or so, according to the heads of the relevant government agencies.

The self-imposed deadline had been early November, but NTIA head Larry Strickling said Tuesday: "We're going to take a few more weeks here to get this right...I will not fund a bad application..."

Smart-grid money could assist broadband - PC World

U.S. President Barack Obama on Tuesday unveiled US$3.4 billion in grants to update the nation's electrical grid, but the benefits could reach to the broadband sector as well, one community broadband adviser said.

The announcement of so-called smart-grid grants to 49 states is focused on creating a more efficient and reliable electric system in the U.S. However, the backbone of the smart grid, which uses digital technology to deliver electricity and control use, will be an Internet Protocol-based network, and the result could mean new broadband deployment in some areas, said Craig Settles, a broadband analyst and president of consulting firm Successful.com...

How Intermountain West states rate for broadband stimulus funds | Sharon Fisher | Politics | NewWest.Net

In the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009, also known as the stimulus package, Congress appropriated $7.2 billion for broadband grants, loans, and loan guarantees to be administered by the USDA’s Rural Utilities Service (RUS) and the Department of Commerce’s National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA). The deadline for submissions for the first phase was August of this year.

The first phase awards $4 billion, a little more than half of the total $7.2 billion, according to Matt Mitchell of The LinkAMERICA Alliance, who spoke at July’s Pacific Northwest Economic Region (PNWER) conference in Boise...

CAGW seeks strict scrutiny of broadband stimulus grants | Reuters

WASHINGTON--(Business Wire)-- Citizens Against Government Waste (CAGW) today raised objections to 23 applications for broadband stimulus grants totaling $550 million that have been
submitted to the National Telecommunications Information Administration (NTIA).

"There have been numerous reports of waste and mismanagement of stimulus funds, such as hundreds of underage `first-time homebuyers,` including a four year-old, seeking the $8,000 tax credit," said CAGW President Tom Schatz. "There is a total of $4.7 billion at stake in the Broadband Technology Opportunities Program, which should not become another opportunity to waste the taxpayers` money..."

Comcast says some stimulus bidders may be ineligible

Comcast Corp. said some applicants for U.S. stimulus funds to expand high-speed Internet want to build in places already served by the company, which may violate eligibility rules.

The largest U.S. cable-television service will file data supporting the assertion on Oct. 28, David Cohen, executive vice president at Comcast, told reporters in Washington today. The money is to be distributed under a $7.2 billion program that aims to accelerate the deployment and use of high-speed Internet service in areas that don't have it...

Connecticut Governor Jodi Rell recommends Alphastar America for funding of $25M from broadband stimulus program

Greenwich, CT (PRWEB) October 27, 2009 -- Connecticut Governor Jodi Rell recommended a project by Alphastar America (AA) for funding of $25M from the Broadband Tchnologies Opportunities Program (BTOP), administered by the National Telecommunication and Information Administration (NTIA). In a letter to Lawrence Strickling, Assistant Secretary of the Department of Commerce and the Administrator NTIA, Governor Rell expressed strong support for 10 projects and ranked Alphastar America's project among them as the second most important choice for the state of CT.

It is the only proposal recommended that seeks to provide broadband solutions to the "unserved," as opposed to "underserved" areas. Statement By the Office of Governor M. Jodi Rell to NTIA Assistant Secretary Strickling...

Arkansas to get $2.1 million to map broadband access (Updated) | The City Wire

Arkansas will get $2.1 million in federal stimulus dollars to map broadband access and to help expand broadband coverage in Arkansas.

The Department of Commerce's National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) on Monday (Oct. 26) announced that Arkansas, the District of Columbia and New York would see their programs funded in what is essentially the third round of funding announcements related to the broadband program...

Eaton County appeals for broadband stimulus | lansingstatejournal.com | Lansing State Journal

Rural Eaton County residents may be cruising the Internet at high speeds by 2011 if a project to bring broadband to the entire county gets federal stimulus package support.
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The broadband project is seeking funds from the federal stimulus package to offset its expected $3 million to $5 million price tag. A funding decision is expected by the end of next month...

FCC Chief: $7.2B is a start toward national broadband

Julius Genachowski, chairman of the Federal Communications Commission, said in comments posted Sunday that he realizes the $7.2 billion so far earmarked for creation of a national broadband infrastructure Relevant Products/Services falls far short of the amount that eventually will be needed. He said the FCC is looking at a number of funding mechanisms.

"There is no question that it will take a lot of private investment to do what's necessary," Genachowski told BusinessWeek editors. "And we're looking at what are the ways we can [provide incentives for] private investment. We've tried to lay out some cost estimates for what it would take to achieve different goals for the country. But how that investment gets made, over what time period, toward what end, and by whom is something we haven't tackled yet. That is the next phase of the process we are in..."

Two big endorsements for major Central Coast broadband project A Lensman always goes in

California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger and California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) staff have signed off on a 428 mile fiber optic trunk project for Santa Cruz, Monterey and San Benito counties on California’s Central Coast.

These approvals make it more likely that the project will receive federal stimulus money through the National Telecommunications and Information Administration’s (NTIA) Broadband Technology Opportunities Program (BTOP)...

How broadband stimulus could help Michigan: Talking to Merit Network

Since the financial markets collapsed late last summer, no state in the Union – not even New York, home to Wall Street itself – has received more scrutiny from politicians and media than Michigan, home of the “big three” auto makers, eventual seekers of taxpayer funds.

That scrutiny yielded some hard-to-swallow facts for a state that long has relied on and answered the need for a strong manufacturing base...

NCTA, ACA question funding for broadband projects - 2009-10-26 12:13:23 EDT | Multichannel News

National Telecommunications & Information Administration and Department of Agriculture funding for broadband projects has been applied for in "hundreds of areas" that already get broadband service.

That is according to a group of association presidents including the heads of the National Cable & Telecommunications Association, the American Cable Association and the U.S. Telecom Association. In a letter to NTIA head Larry Strickling and Rural Utilities Service administrator Jonathan Adelstein, the group says it is concerned that the data the agencies are collecting may "inadvertently" provide an inaccurate picture of and compromise the process...

U.S. Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, & Transportation

Tuesday, October 27, 2009
02:45 PM
SR - 253

WASHINGTON, D.C. – The U.S. Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation announces the following full committee hearing on Oversight of the Broadband Stimulus Programs in the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act...

Some filed too many stimulus grant applications

Some applicants filed so many applications I have to wonder why. Were the grant writers paid per application? There seems to be no reason.

Wireless equipment maker DigitalBridge Communications Corp of Ashburn, VA filed 64 applications across several midwestern and southern states...

Electronic records, boosted by stimulus, rush hospitals into unchartered territory - Boston Business Journal:

Dr. Neil Meehan’s computer tells him there are three patients in the waiting room of Lawrence General Hospital’s emergency room, two in registration and one in triage with a nurse. As things heat up, he’ll adjust staffing levels in real time to avoid the kind of bottlenecks that give emergency rooms a rotten name.

“Before, it was a free-for-all. Clipboards were everywhere, there was no way to track the flow of people, and the bottlenecks would never go away,” Meehan said...

Illinois Governor’s stimulus letter is nearly perfect

The broadband stimulus is supposed to be a transparent process, with input from experts and from communities at every step. One key representative is the state’s governor. Illinois governor Pat Quinn (D), Blagojevich’s replacement, released his letter concerning the broadband stimulus here.

The letter recommends some of the most expensive proposals. Central Management Services, which manages a fiber network serving over 8,000 schools, is requesting $120 million to upgrade the network to serve 69 counties with 3,838 anchor institutions. It’s a massive project...

Atlanta seeks to add 500 surveillance cameras | NWOTruth

Atlanta’s other reality show is taping today outside CNN Center, at Woodruff Park and in Midtown.

What you might call Real Pedestrians of Atlanta is a rather modest video surveillance: a few dozen cameras monitoring select locations in the city every second. But the city has applied for millions in federal stimulus funds so it can train about 500 more cameras on city streets...

Electronic medical records draw frequent criticisms - washingtonpost.com

In a health-care debate characterized by partisan bickering, most lawmakers agree on one thing: American medicine needs to go digital.

When President Obama designated $19.5 billion to expand the use of electronic medical records, former House speaker Newt Gingrich (R-Ga.) said it was one of only "two good things" in February's stimulus package...

MN Progressive Project:: Why isn't broadband stimulus document public?

The Administration of Minnesota Governor Tim Pawlenty (R-MN) informed StimulatingBroadband.com this morning that the communication issued by a state agency to the National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) relative to the Administration's funding priorities for federal broadband stimulus projects in Minnesota is not considered a "public document."

In an e-mail of 10/19, Ms. Diane Wells, the Manager of the Telecommunications Division of the Minnesota Department of Commerce stated...

Repairing safety net badly shredded by the Great Recession | Commentary | NewJerseyNewsroom.com -- Your State. Your News.

The Great Recession has cost the nation more than 7 million jobs since the downturn began in late 2007. Unemployment reached 9.8% last month and will go to double digits this year. Worse, the rate of underemployment is nearly 18%: underemployment includes those working less than 35 hours a week because they cannot find full-time jobs and those who have given up looking for work.

Long-term unemployment, people jobless for more than six months, has reached five million. Things have not been this bad since the 1930s...

Rural Internet Access Cooperative : Satellite Internet - Social impacts of broadband Internet

With the proposed Broadband Stimulus plan, set forth by the Federal Government to enable rural areas of the country to have access to high-speed Internet services. An old fear has arisen, the erosion of community interactions in small town America. The theory was always that community involvement and participation would be lost forever as end users sought out their own virtual communities of shared interest over the Internet.

After a decade of research, however, just the opposite appears to be true. Studies have shown that Internet use increased civic engagement and community participation. In fact the concern now is that those with dial up services are being left out of community activities as it is a greater challenge for them to access information, through slow unreliable dial-up connections...

Net neutrality faces political, legal hurdles - CNN.com

(CNET) -- Net neutrality supporters may be celebrating the Federal Communications Commission's unanimous vote Thursday to begin developing open Internet regulation, but the battle is far from over as the yet-to-be-written regulation is already facing Congressional opposition and will also likely be challenged in court.

Votes at the FCC for the proposal to get the ball rolling on new rules to protect an open Internet hadn't even been cast when Senator John McCain, a Republican from Arizona, introduced legislation on Thursday morning that would block the agency from regulating the Internet. McCain said that Net neutrality rules would stifle innovation and hurt the job market...

McCain blocking Net Neutrality – WHOA!

Joe Wilson, move over! Every single website, blog and Facebook page that sources and spreads information exposing the realities of the ‘Obama Agenda’, began counting their days when the FCC voted, yesterday, to start the rulemaking process giving Washington D.C. internet control. However, an unexpected and surprising White Knight appeared on the scene.

Senator John McCain filed the “Internet Freedom Act” on the very day that the FCC had put pen to paper. Filing this Act has blocked/slowed the forward movement of yet another step toward the Government’s suppression of our freedom of speech...

Why Is the White House ignoring broadband?

I try not to be too alarmist in my proclamations about the state of broadband policy in DC, but sometimes I can't help but get piqued when it feels like broadband's being ignored by the very people who we so desperately need to make it a top priority. To that end, I have to get this off my chest: I think the White House is ignoring broadband.

Now I don't mean the entire White House. For example, I've had a chance to meet Susan Crawford, President Obama's broadband adviser, and I know for a fact that she's not ignoring broadband...

Maine getting ready to compete for stimulus money | SeacoastOnline.com

AUGUSTA, Maine (AP) — The state of Maine is preparing to compete for tens of millions of dollars in additional federal stimulus money.

State officials say that during the first year of the administration of President Barack Obama, much of the stimulus money went to unemployment, Medicaid and transportation...

Broadband stimulus projects: Laptops and iPods for Minneapolis residents?

Minnesota has declined to make public its list of recommended projects for the first round of broadband stimulus funding until Washington announces the lucky recipients beginning in early November.

Sure, many other states have released their prioritized lists of applicants for a $7.2 billion jackpot. And sure, the secretive nature of the process seems at odds with the high level of transparency that was promised to accompany the even higher level of stimulus funding...

NTIA grants $1.4 million in broadband mapping money - 2009-10-23 15:09:20 EDT | Broadcasting & Cable

The National Telecommunications & Information Administration has handed out $1.4 million in broadband mapping money, this time to West Virginia.

The money is from the stimulus program and will go toward data for an interactive national broadband map that has to be ready for public inspection on Feb. 17, 2011...

Broadband stimulus as intended: Ohio TV group seeks to help region's citizens

One of the more unique and interesting broadband stimulus grant applications that we’ve seen is coming out of Kent, Ohio, where a nonprofit organization that includes two TV stations and an educational services division is seeking about $1.3 million to create computer centers.

There, the head of Northeastern Educational Television of Ohio, which includes Western Reserve Public Media (public TV stations WNEO and WEAO), told TMCnet in an interview (printed in full below), citizens will be trained to develop robust broadband content, and a Web site that will feature regional video on demand, a virtual public square and a regional knowledge portal...

Bolstering emergency communications through broadband stimulus

Grant money from the federal government under the broadband stimulus program is needed to bolster emergency response communications in a wide swath of the Empire State, an official with an Albany, N.Y.-based provider of wide area wireless Internet services told TMCnet in an interview.

Hudson Valley Wireless, an affiliate of Hudson Valley Communications, serves Albany, Troy, Schenectady and surrounding areas. The company is seeking a $1.2 million grant under the new federal program to strengthen public safety communications. The U.S. Department of Commerce agency that’s overseeing the broadband stimulus program is expected to start awarding grants and loans in about two weeks...

McCain introduces bill to block FCC’s net neutrality rules « Science & Technology News

U.S. Senator John McCain has introduced legislation that would block the Federal Communications Commission from creating new net neutrality rules, on the same day that the FCC took the first step toward doing so.

McCain on Thursday introduced the Internet Freedom Act, which would keep the FCC from enacting rules prohibiting broadband providers from selectively blocking or slowing Internet content and applications. Net neutrality rules would create “onerous federal regulation,” McCain said in a written statement...

Scooplet: County broadband proposal clears major hurdle « Jeff Pelline’s Blog

A county proposal to expand broadband services has cleared a major hurdle and won the support of Gov. Schwarzenegger. (I heard about this while attending the Amgen bike race shindig at City Hall, a “twofer.”)

The county’s broadband proposal — “Nevada County Connected” — is on a list of projects that Schwarzenegger has just forwarded to the federal govenment to be considered for stimulus funds...

Rural Internet access cooperative : Rural broadband Internet's effect on small town economies

The Government's commitment to providing high-speed Internet connections to rural America through the Federal Broadband Stimulus program, may have a positive economic effect for customers accessing newly born services. However, the effect on rural businesses may not be so positive.

It is not an unfamiliar fact that customers of rural businesses usually pay more for the same products and services that mainstream Americans do. The reasons are numerous, and in many cases justified. Smaller customer bases and higher costs to receive goods or deliver services are a big contributor to higher costs for rural consumers...

Stimulus cash sought to broaden Net access :: CHICAGO SUN-TIMES :: Technology

Chicago is seeking federal stimulus money to expand high-speed Internet access to five needy neighborhoods -- a plan that could add 300 jobs to existing community centers to teach people how to use the Web to post news and use online financial and social media resources.

The city's proposals for broadband stimulus money are among a list of 31 that Gov. Quinn has deemed "priorities" out of an initial 140 proposals submitted. The governor's recommendation doesn't guarantee that the 31 finalists will get the federal money. The Broadband Technology Opportunities Program requires each governor to submit a prioritized list...

FCC votes to draft net neutrality rules - washingtonpost.com

The Federal Communications Commission voted unanimously Thursday to begin crafting rules to prevent Internet providers from acting as gatekeepers over which services and content are delivered to their customers, the agency's surest step yet toward regulating the rules of the road online.

The federal government previously had taken a largely hands-off approach to Web regulation but decided to act as concerns grew that telecommunications giants such as Comcast, AT&T and Verizon could begin to favor their products and services over others...

Fiber to the Library initiative gains endorsements

SAN FRANCISCO, CA and WASHINGTON, DC – In a watershed moment for public libraries across the U.S., Digital Village Associates announced today new support for the national “Fiber to the Library” project with endorsements from The National Association of Telecommunications Officers and Advisors (NATOA), Fiber to the Home Council (FTTH), and Google Inc.

Dubbed “Fiber to the Library,” the two-year-old initiative aims to bring next-generation Internet connectivity into every U.S. community by 2012 through the nation’s 16,500 public libraries. The initiative conceives of libraries as Community Technology Hubs – places where people can test and explore new technologies in a trusted environment; find professional guides to help navigate the often daunting world of online services, especially those created by government agencies; and research, archive and digitize local historical and cultural information such as newspapers, photos, and other unique documents...

Net neutrality still faces political, legal hurdles | Signal Strength - CNET News

Net neutrality supporters may be celebrating the Federal Communications Commission's unanimous vote Thursday to begin developing open Internet regulation, but the battle is far from over as the yet-to-be-written regulation is already facing Congressional opposition and will also likely be challenged in court.

Votes at the FCC for the proposal to get the ball rolling on new rules to protect an open Internet hadn't even been cast when Senator John McCain (R-Ariz.) introduced legislation on Thursday morning that would block the agency from regulating the Internet. McCain said that Net neutrality rules would stifle innovation and hurt the job market...

AT&T, Comcast face new Internet rules after FCC vote (Update4) - Bloomberg.com

Oct. 22 (Bloomberg) -- U.S. regulators voted to begin crafting rules to forbid Internet service providers such as AT&T Inc. and Comcast Corp. from favoring or blocking Web traffic, and to extend the regulations to wireless services.

The Federal Communications Commission moved toward so- called net neutrality rules that companies including AT&T and Verizon Communications Inc. say may stifle investment. Google Inc., Amazon.com Inc. and other supporters say the action is needed to keep the Internet as a free medium where consumers rather than companies choose the best ideas and products...

Handicapping broadband stimulus picks

The $7.2 billion in Broadband Stimulus prize money in the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (ARRA) is creating quite a buzz around the telecom race track.

With its objective “to expand broadband services in the U.S.”, the Broadband Stimulus makes money available to build broadband facilities where little or none exist. The huge response to the July 1 Notice of Funds Availability (NOFA) was overwhelming, filling the barns with over 2,200 entrants ready to saddle-up for the big race...

Net Neutering: Telcos threaten pullback - Telecom News Analysis

CHICAGO -- Supercomm 2009 -- Execs in attendance at this year's Supercomm conference are preoccupied with looming net neutrality regulation coming from the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) , regulation they say could have a negative effect on telecom investment.

In his keynote speech this morning, AT&T Inc. (NYSE: T) president of operations John Stankey likened his mood ahead of the FCC's meeting on the topic to how he would feel before going to a funeral...

A power grab called 'Net Neutrality'

First Amendment: Diversity czar Mark Lloyd's FCC votes Thursday on the issue of net neutrality. Advertised as providing access to all, it will do to the information superhighway what Lloyd proposed for talk radio.

Not much was said when $7.2 billion was included in the stimulus bill "to accelerate broadband deployment in unserved and underserved areas and to strategic institutions that are likely to create jobs or provide significant public benefits." The administration has big plans for the Internet — like controlling it...

Poplar Bluff: Where broadband stimulus meets green technology

The head of a Poplar Bluff, Mo.-based company that brings Internet access and Web-hosting services to southeast Missouri told TMCnet in an interview that his company’s bid for a $1.5 million grant through the federal broadband stimulus program is unique, in part, because it’s an eco-friendly project.

According to Brian Becker, president of CEO of Poplar Bluff Internet, Inc., the company’s proposal to build a 31-tower, 760-square-mile broadband wireless network will do more than bring broadband services to people who only have dial-up now...

FCC takes first step toward Net Neutrality rules - PC World

The U.S. Federal Communications Commission has taken the first step toward creating formal net neutrality rules, despite a huge lobbying effort from opposing groups in recent days.

The FCC voted Thursday to open a rulemaking process and begin receiving comments on a proposal to create new net neutrality rules following a contentious debate on whether new regulations are needed...

Net neutrality D-day - FierceBroadbandWireless

I suppose today could be characterized as "freak out" day for most broadband operators out there. The FCC is scheduled to add two new "principles" of support for net neutrality concepts and essentially codify all six principles the commission has held into official regulations. As such, some strange happenings went on this week.

Verizon Communications CEO Ivan Seidenberg, speaking at the Supercomm trade show yesterday in Chicago, called the proposed net neutrality regulations "extremely troubling," and said new regulations should be applied to telecom companies and Internet firms equally, or else wireless and wireline operators would face unpalatable risks. He singled out Google in that speech.

Schools make their case for broadband grants

Colleges and universities have applied for tens of millions of dollars in federal stimulus grants designed to expand broadband internet access, arguing that university IT infrastructure makes campuses worthy recipients.

The government announced in August that an initial $4 billion in stimulus loans and grants will be used to connect rural homes to the internet, stimulate interest in getting internet service among groups that don't use it much, and expand internet access in public locations such as schools and libraries. More than 2,200 applicants asked for a total of $28 billion in broadband funds during this initial application process--roughly seven times the amount available. Most of the applications proposed building out internet lines to bring broadband access to rural American towns and cities...

Broadband stimulus panel elicits heated comments over Net Neutrality | Wireless Week

CHICAGO—What began as a panel about the government's rural broadband stimulus program quickly became a debate over the effects of net neutrality during an afternoon session at the SuperComm trade show yesterday.

AT&T's Jim Cicconi, who helps head the carrier's external and legislative affairs, bluntly criticized the net neutrality-like regulations tied to the stimulus funds...

McCain introduces bill to block FCC's Net Neutrality rules - PC World

U.S. Senator John McCain has introduced legislation that would block the U.S. Federal Communications Commission from creating new net neutrality rules, on the same day that the FCC took the first step toward doing so.

McCain on Thursday introduced the Internet Freedom Act, which would keep the FCC from enacting rules prohibiting broadband providers from selectively blocking or slowing Internet content and applications. Net neutrality rules would create "onerous federal regulation," McCain said in a written statement...

Broadband stimulus as job creator: An interview with Towerstream

The head of a Middletown, R.I.-based fixed WiMAX service provider that’s seeking millions in grant money through the federal broadband stimulus program told TMCnet in an interview that its plans would help stimulate the economy by creating more business and jobs.

According to Jeff Thompson (News - Alert), president and CEO of Towerstream, the only way to create jobs is by helping small businesses and reaching urban, under-served populations...

Broadband stimulus package: How can carriers ensure their projects pass the sustainability test?

US Federal officials are soon expected to announce the beneficiaries of the first $4 billion in broadband stimulus funds designed to promote Internet access in rural areas of America. However, as the government has received over $28 billion in requests for funding, including 307 WiMAX applications requesting some $1.6 billion in funds, officials will have some tough decisions to make.

For the US WiMAX community, the broadband stimulus package offers renewed reason for enthusiasm, given the suitability of the technology in serving remote, rural areas...

Out of options, North Carolina ISP seeks broadband stimulus funding

The head of a Roxboro, N.C.-based computer maker and Internet services provider – a company that’s seeking a $3 million grant under the federal broadband stimulus program to expand wireless broadband services – told TMCnet that the proposed expansion can’t possibly happen without those funds.

According to Randy King, president of Electronic Solutions, Inc., wireless broadband has been expanded to the limit by his own company as well as local telecom and cable providers...

Broadband stimulus has failed to date

Let's stop kidding ourselves: to date, the broadband stimulus has failed. The original purpose of the stimulus was to get money flowing quickly to create jobs. We're now more than eight months in and no money's gone out. So the stimulus has failed to get money flowing quickly.

The stimulus has also failed when it comes to creating jobs. Not only has no money gone out to help create these jobs, but it seems like no one's even seriously talking about the broadband stimulus in terms of creating jobs any more...

Get the inside scoop on Airspan from Declan Byrne | Going Wimax

I joined Airspan in early 2008 as Chief Marketing Officer. I have been in the telecommunications industry for several years now. I have previously held key positions in companies such as AT&T Wireless, Netro Corporation and SR Telecom.

I was very excited to join Airspan Networks, one of the pioneers and leading companies in WiMAX technologies. Airspan reaches every corner of the globe and has over 500 customers in more than 100 countries. We have the widest variety of WiMAX solutions operating in 700 MHz all the way up to 5.8 GHz bands...

Another try at city wifi for Cleveland

It’s been two years since Frank Jackson officially abandoned his first high-profile attempt to create a City-supported wifi network on the ill-fated Philadelphia-EarthLink model. Now he’s quietly giving City wifi another try, this time hoping to pay for it with $15 million in Federal broadband stimulus money.

From the Commerce Department’s Broadband USA database of applications for the first round of Broadband Technology Opportunity Program funds...

Telecom firms face net-neutrality defeat - washingtonpost.com

Facing a major regulatory issue that could be worth a fortune in future business, AT&T has unleashed the kind of lobbying blitz that makes it one of the grand corporate players of the great Washington game.

And yet, for all the money AT&T and other old-line telecom and cable companies have spent pushing their cause, they are poised to lose a key vote to a bunch of younger technology companies that never had anything to do with Washington until recently...

National broadband policy must push adoption

The U.S. National Broadband Policy needs to solve the country’s adoption problem, not just its access problem, and do so without unnecessary regulation that would slow down private investment in broadband infrastructure, a crowded panel of industry insiders said Wednesday at Supercomm’s National Broadband Strategy Conference.

“We see towns with 100% coverage and they have a choice between two wireline broadband providers and three 3G providers, and 50% of them don’t choose broadband,” said Bob Udell, senior vice president of Telephone Operations, for independent telco, Consolidated Communications. “For some its economic reasons, for others, lifestyle reasons...”

Net Neutrality enforcement may reach into your computer

The Net Neutrality policy proposed by the Obama White House is set for a vote by the Federal Communication Commission (FCC) on Thursday.

The President has not been quiet about pushing for internet legislation. On the campaign trail he made many statements like; “I will not take a back seat to anyone in my commitment to net neutrality...”

Broadband proposal still in funding hunt

Lumpkin County Development Authority has made the first cut to receive $42 million in stimulus money for its broadband fiber optics project. If awarded, the grant would be the largest in the state.

The broadband project started with a suggestion from Development Authority Executive Director Bruce Abraham at the December 2007 authority meeting, and has since grown to incorporate 12 north Georgia counties. It would enable a new technology-based economy to take root in north Georgia, providing more and better jobs to residents...

CenturyLink: Universal broadband depends on public, private partners

The US federal government’s universal broadband goals can only be achieved by public and private entities working together, according to Tom Gerke, executive vice chairman of CenturyLink, whose brand recently supplanted that of its latest acquisition, Embarq.

“Broadband for all Americans just isn’t going to happen without public-private partnership,” Gerke told a keynote audience on the first day of the Supercomm trade show Wednesday. “CFOs on just private money can’t get there...”

Governor submits recommendations for broadband stimulus program - The Kansas CW |

Governor Mark Parkinson has sent a letter to the National Telecommunications and Information Administration with recommendations for the Broadband Technology Opportunities Program. The list has what the governor calls priority projects for consideration under the BTOP.

BTOP is a $4.7 billion program which provides grants to support the deployment of broadband infrastructure in unserved and underserved areas. It also aims to enhance broadband capacity at public computer centers and encourages sustainable adoption of broadband service...

Rural broadband stimulus — Whether it’s working or not, here are some companies to ponder « SmallCapWorld

There are as many opinions of the federal stimulus plans as there are people. For some, the stimulus plans have been the safety harness that rescued us from global collapse. For others the stimulus plans were a sneaky path to bonus heaven for greedy bankers. \

For some the job creation rate of the many and varied stimulus plans is far too small, far too slow. Judgments are probably equally split between favorable and unfavorable, but they come in all stripes...

Meraki offers wireless networks to K-12 schools for $40 per student or less

10/20/09 San Francisco - Meraki, the cloud-based wireless networking company, partially funded by Google Ventures announced the launch of its “Wireless For Schools” program today.

The wireless gear maker is offering K-12 schools and districts a comprehensive 802.11n wireless LAN at the price of $40 per student or less, depending on the deployment...

Gimme broadband | Really Rocket Science

Forget the news out of Washington on distant locals. The real news is using satellite for rural broadband. Charlie wants some satcom stimulus. Via Aviation Week:

Last month, EchoStar submitted a bid for U.S. rural broadband stimulus funding in partnership with WildBlue, with which it already has a distribution agreement (AW&ST Sept. 14, p. 33). The teaming arrangement, dubbed EchoBlue Rural Broadband, is seeking $130 million in grants from the National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) and $400 million in loans from the Agriculture Dept.’s Rural Utility Service to help cover the estimated $500 million needed to build and launch a high-data-rate Ka-band satellite...

Washington releases broadband priority list of applicants to receive stimulus funding | The Gov Monitor

Gov. Chris Gregoire today released Washington state’s prioritized list of Broadband Technology Opportunities Program (BTOP) stimulus applicants.

The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act appropriated $7.2 billion in funding to expand broadband infrastructure and access across the United States. More than 2200 applications for this funding were received at the federal level. Each state’s governor was given an opportunity to review and prioritize projects with an impact in their home state...

What Broadband Projects are in Line for Stimulus Funding? - Domains and DNS News Story

In the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009, also known as the stimulus package, Congress appropriated $7.2 billion for broadband grants, loans, and loan guarantees to be administered by the USDA’s Rural Utilities Service (RUS) and the Department of Commerce’s National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA). The deadline for submissions was earlier this year.

Now, you can search the database yourself to find what projects were submitted. Endeavour Partners, a consulting company, downloaded the data to see what it could find out about the proposals...

Falling into SUPERCOMM - FierceTelecom

Today I will head out to my first tradeshow as a FierceTelecom editor. Besides leaving the family behind for three days, what feels strange is that I am going to be at SUPERCOMM in October. Okay, SUPERCOMM in October?

Since I went to my first show in 1999, SUPERCOMM was always the telecom industry's summer family barbecue held in June. And while New England saw its first snowfall in mid-October (yes, mid-October) this past weekend, my fellow Irish Tenor Dan O'Shea assures me that the weather will be about 60 degrees in the Windy City...

U.S. broadband stimulus plan to fall short by nearly $17 billion, warns Yankee Group | Reuters

BOSTON--(Business Wire)-- The current $7.2 billion in stimulus funds earmarked for extending broadband service across the U.S. is woefully inadequate, reaching less than a third of the investment necessary to connect every U.S. household, according to research from Yankee Group.

A report, titled "Ubiquitous U.S. Broadband Will Cost At Least Triple the Current Stimulus Package," explores several scenarios and finds that even the most bare-bones approach to extending broadband across the country will require funding-and vendor cooperation-far beyond what we see today...

Congress needs to understand the basics of broadband

Last week in a meeting with a highly respected colleague of mine in DC, I experienced one of the most eye-opening and disappointing moments of my time in the world of broadband policy.

The conversation revolved around my argument that if we keep trying to patch the holes in FCC regulations with band-aids that we'll never be able to realize truly effective reform. If we want real change we need to reframe the FCC's mission for the 21st century, namely to focus on the availability, affordability, adoption, and openness of bandwidth. (More on this argument here...)

Draft report finds open access plays ‘core role’ in spreading broadband

By using a “multidimensional approach,” Harvard’s Berkman Center for Internet & Society has created a metric for categorizing the relative success or failures of broadband deployments across the developed world. Among the “most surprising and significant findings” the draft says, is that “open access policies…are almost universally understood as having played a core role” in spreading broadband deployment.

The draft report, commissioned by the Federal Communications Commission, finds there are generally two definitions of “broadband,” in the context of planning the transition to next-generation broadband networks. The first generation is characterized by its emphasis on capacity, usually in terms of download speeds. Meanwhile the next generation is characterized by an ever-present, seamless connectivity. The draft says the next generation transition will see the “always on” feature of broadband typified in more ubiquitous terms of “just there” connectivity: “connecting anyone, anywhere, with everyone and everything, without having to think about it...”

Charged and ready? - Comunicano Speakers & Listeners

Supercomm claims to be charged and ready to discuss all things broadband –a slightly different message than the show sent last spring after it was postponed to October 21-23. Back then, Supercomm event director Ron Matthews said the date change was an effort to take advantage of opportunities from the $7.2 billion broadband stimulus bill and the stimulus award schedule.

Although the timing was pretty good, there seems to be a disconnect between the conference program and companies that are actually receiving stimulus money. Big guns from Verizon, AT&T and Qwest Communications are keynoting, but those companies turned down stimulus money and aren’t likely to focus on the stimulus package. (You can watch the keynote presentations at www.nextgenweb.org...)

Last-mile demand should be first concern for broadband - Kansas City Star

As hopeful applicants across the country scramble to take advantage of more than $7 billion in federal stimulus funds to expand the reach of the Internet, policymakers in Missouri and Washington need to watch carefully how the money will be spent.

Taking a “ready, fire, aim” approach without good planning could waste taxpayer dollars without bringing better Internet access...

The future of broadband satellite

On June 11, 2009 WildBlue revealed the future of Broadband Satellite Internet with a hands-on demonstration of its "next generation" satellite capabilities in the Washington D.C..

The demonstration showcased download speeds of 18 Mbps, nearly 12-times faster than satellite internet providers current capabilities. Members of Congress got to compare than enhanced Wild Blue speeds with their current service. Why was Congress involved, you might ask. Because WildBlue provides high-speed Satellite Internet access to nearly 400,000 Americans in rural parts of the United States, that currently have no other options, other than dialup service available to them...

Could US financial worries be good news for broadband penetration? - International Beat

Much has been said about how much America is lagging behind in broadband penetration and how imperative the broadband stimulus is for the country. But did you know that even before a cent of the $7.2 billion has been spent, broadband adoption is already picking up - by over 14%?

What's more, while experts say that since America was lagging behind, and coupled with the demand of new applications -- like social networking, YouTube, etc. -- broadband penetration in America had to catch up sooner or later. But it appears that the recession has emerged as a big driver for that growth...

Wireless players rally against Net Neutrality regs - InternetNews.com

WASHINGTON -- In some ways, this is a nervous time for the wireless industry.

Amid the meteoric rise of smartphones, app stores and consumer dependency on mobile broadband service, the Federal Communications Commission is taking a close look at the industry in a move that many fear will bring new burdensome regulations and ultimately harm consumers...

Evslin named Chief Technology Officer for Vermont, Adams to head recovery office | Vermont Business Magazine

Governor Jim Douglas and Secretary of Administration Neale Lunderville today announced the appointment of Chief Recovery Officer Tom Evslin to the new position of Chief Technology Officer with specific initial responsibility for preparing telecom initiatives for the upcoming legislative session.

Evslin will also help formulate policy for use of technology in the e-state government of the future including cloud computing and other technical opportunities for the state, smart grid, and the use of energy by state government...

Amend 'shovel-ready' requirement: Broadband stimulus applicant

The federal government, which expected to announce the first round of broadband stimulus grant and loan recipients in just a few weeks, should consider receiving applications one U.S. region at a time toavoid overwhelming receiving servers and creating last-minute havoc for applicants, an official with a Hermosa Beach, Calif. company that’s been building mobile networks in underserved areas since 1999 told TMCnet in an interview today.

According to Matthew H. Merritt, N.C. and S.C. director of NTCH-Cleartalk, it’s difficult at this stage – after struggling to learn and navigate the government’s application process – to recommned a drastic changes. Yet it would be helpful to omit or modify a requirement that has applicants describe their service areas by census blocks...

Internet America stimulus grant proposal supported by the State of Texas | Reuters

The Texas Department of Agriculture Commissioner Todd Staples has recommended
the grant application submitted by Internet America, Inc. to the National
Telecommunications and Information Administration under Broadband Technology
Opportunities Program.

Internet America`s application is among only 21 endorsed "last mile" projects,
defined as those which deliver high speed broadband Internet directly to consumers...

Hurdles remain as FCC ponders Internet data rules - washingtonpost.com

WASHINGTON -- With Democrats in charge in Washington, supporters of so-called "net neutrality" rules seem poised to finally push through requirements that high-speed Internet providers give equal treatment to all data flowing over their networks.

These rules - at the heart of a five-year policy debate - are intended to guarantee that Internet users can go to any Web site and access any online service they want. Phone and cable companies, for instance, wouldn't be able to block subscribers from using cheaper Internet calling services or accessing online video sites that compete with their core businesses...

Stimulus money spent too fast? Government spends on roads, airports, broadband and jobs - ABC News

Could the wheels of government bureaucracy be grinding too quickly for once?

States, in particular, have been criticized for taking too long to use money from the government's $787 billion stimulus package. Yet, some wonder whether the emphasis on "shovel-ready" projects under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act is putting pressure on federal, state and local officials to push forward on projects that either aren't ready for primetime or just aren't important enough to receive immediate funding...

Behind open doors, states track stimulus

What do an FBI fraud team, a showdown between a governor and the legislature, and a sophisticated online system called geographic information systems have in common?

All are part of states’ efforts to ensure that billions in federal stimulus money are spent wisely within their borders...

Fractals of change: Vermont’s broadband recommendations

Which broadband grant applicants does Vermont like or not like? That's the question the National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA), which is the part of the US Commerce Department and is charged with distributing some of the stimulus funding for broadband, asked the Economic Stimulus and Recovery (ESR) office, which has the responsibility for answering such questions in Vermont.

The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA or "the stimulus bill") requires NTIA to consult with the states. Originally NTIA said it would do a preliminary screen of applications, then give the screened list to the states. When they saw how many applications there were, however, they decided to give the whole unscreened list to the states – which is what we'd asked them to do in the first place. Trouble is we're not sure how much attention they'll pay to our recommendations. They made clear that they would neither accept nor reject an application purely on our say so...

Calif. company looks to bring broadband service to area - News | Reflector.com

A California-based wireless company is vying for federal dollars to help them provide broadband service to areas lacking it in eastern and coastal North Carolina.

Cleartalk, which builds wireless phone and high-speed Internet networks in under-served areas, has applied jointly for about $48 million under both federal broadband stimulus programs. If approved for either one, company officials say they plan to bring mobile broadband service to about 2 million people in 38 counties, including Pitt...

Internet proposal supported by state - Johnstown's Community Newspaper

Somerset County residents are one step closer to having access to broadband Internet services.

Schurz Communications, the parent company of the Daily American, and Digital Bridge have joined to seek millions of dollars under the federal broadband stimulus project...

Public radio pioneer seeks broadband stimulus money | Radio Survivor

I’m happy to see at least one stimulus application for community radio. As telecom nerds everywhere know, American Recovery and Reinvestment Act includes a big chunk of economic stimulus money for broadband development projects—about $7.2 billion all told. That dough is earmarked for projects to roll out broadband to “un-” and “underserved” areas, and the first round of applications is being evaluated by the Departments of Commerce and Agriculture.

The Saturday Daylight BrigadeIt’s terrific that the government is doing this. There are a slew of applications being considered for the first round of projects, and you can see what people are asking for on the Broadband USA application database. I don’t have a vote in who wins grants, but if I did: the Original Urban Radio (OURadio) initiative, being developed over at SLB Radio Productions in Pittsburgh, PA, would get its funding...

OWU to share tech resources with county

For some time now, Delaware County has been looking for a way to grow its broadband Internet resources, but struggled to find the money to pay for it during a down economy.

So officials asked Ohio Wesleyan University if they could borrow some of theirs. OWU has obliged...

Broadband stimulus feature: NTCH-ClearTalk seeks high-speed Internet for 38 counties in North Carolina

NTCH-ClearTalk has submitted a joint application for both BIP and BTOP in a 38-county area of eastern North Carolina identified as 97 percent rural.

By leveraging existing infrastructure and deploying “Software Defined Base Stations,” ClearTalk has proposed developing this initial 3G network for less than $24 per population under NTIA-BTOP grant funds or $12 per population under RUS-BIP grant funds. This attractive cost structure is represented not as an idea but a duplication of the same network ClearTalk built in Grand Junction, Col...

States begin lining up broadband stimulus project priorities | Telecompetitor

Several states have started prioritizing their broadband projects in anticipation of broadband stimulus grants and loans being approved in the coming weeks and months.

Massachusetts, Washington, Maine, Michigan, and Texas have all communicated their desired priorities of broadband projects within their respective states. StimulatingBroadband.com offers more details into each of these state recommendations. State governments will play an important role in selecting winning applications to the $7.2 billion broadband stimulus program. The first round of the program generated 2,200 applications, totaling $28 billion in requested funding...

Web plan may get stimulus funding - New Philadelphia, OH - The Times-Reporter

Area leaders expect to hear in early November if they’re successful in obtaining federal stimulus dollars to improve broadband Internet access in the Tuscarawas Valley.

State broadband planners say Ohio’s mix of rural, Appalachian and poor urban communities gives it a strong chance in the competitive process. In the first round of applying for $7.2 billion in grants, loans and loan guarantees, in-state and out-of-state groups asked for millions to help underserved populations in Ohio get connected...

Study says open broadband access is key to competition

The state of the nationwide broadband infrastructure in the U.S. is certainly lacking compared to other parts of the world where much faster speeds are offered at lower prices. According to the FCC, part of what has allowed such robust competition in the global market is open access to carrier facilities.

According to the FCC, these open policies have helped other industrialized nations to develop competitive broadband markets. The FCC released a draft of a study that looked into broadband practices and plans this week with the aim of improving the reach and use of broadband in America...

State applies for broadband Internet access grants

LANSING -- Governor Granholm is seeking to use federal stimulus money to expand broadband internet access throughout the state. Granholm submitted a series of grant applications toward that end this week to serve both state residents and businesses alike.

7.2-billion dollars of the stimulus package were set aside for expanding access across the country. 4.7-billion went to the National Telecommunications and Information Administration to expand access and the other 2.5-billion went to the Department of Agriculture's Rural Utilities Service to expand the infrastructure for broadband access...

Simple, justifiable bandwidth goals for America

After yesterday's piece on how defining broadband based on 3Mbps down 1Mbps up is inadequate, I want to share more specific thoughts on the kinds of bandwidth goals American should be setting.

An important first step is to realize that we should have at least two tiers: baseline served and fully served. Baseline served refers to the lowest level at which we consider a network to be delivering broadband. This is also the level that 100% of Americans (or as close as possible) should have access to...

Maine broadband stimulus: Gov. Baldacci announces funding recommendations

Office of Gov. Baldacci via StimulatingBroadband.com 10/15/09 AUGUSTA, ME - Governor John E. Baldacci yesterday submitted final comments to the National Telecommunications and Information Administration concerning proposals for broadband expansion in Maine.

The comments are the final step in a State process to recommend projects for funding from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act. The National Telecommunications and Information Administration will review the recommendations over the coming months and make the decision on funding through the Recovery Act...

Cox shuts down Net congestion tests - Telecom News Analysis

Cox Communications Inc. has shut down a trial of a new Internet traffic system it was testing in its Kansas and Arkansas systems, a decision that comes a week before the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) gets ready to ramp up a proceeding that could produce a new set of rules around so-called network neutrality.

Cox launched the trials in February, testing out a system developed internally that puts traffic into "time-sensitive" (e.g., Web pages, voice calls, streaming video), and "non-time-sensitive" (e.g., file uploads, peer-to-peer, and Usenet) buckets. As designed, the congestion management system temporarily delays upstream, non-time-sensitive traffic whenever network congestion is detected. Cox, which limited the test to residential high-speed Internet subs, insisted that any delays were on the order of seconds or subseconds -- not enough for customers to really notice. (See Cox: Packet Delays Won't Hurt and Cox to Test New Bandwidth Cop ...)

Gov. Patrick: Three Mass. proposals for broadband stimulus funds - Mass High Tech Business News

Governor Deval Patrick has submitted a letter to the National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) requesting federal stimulus funding for three Massachusetts broadband projects to serve western Massachusetts, Cape Cod and the City of Boston.

NTIA plans to distribute $1.6 billion in its first round of funding for the Broadband Technology Opportunities Program, a part of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act. Currently, the program has received more than 2,200 applications, requesting a total of $28 billion. NTIA expects to announce the fundings in November...

News report: Broadband stimulus funding is 'on track'

A representative from the National Telecommunications and Information Administration said the agency is reportedly on time with its plans to award the first round of broadband stimulus grant money by its Nov. 1 deadline.

According to a news story published by Billing & OSS World, which covered a regulatory panel at the at the Fall 2009 COMPTEL PLUS Convention & Expo this week, NTIA is working round the clock, seven days each week, to sift through applications...

3Mbps down and 1Mbps up are inadequate bandwidth goals

So apparently there's some level of consensus getting entrenched among DC policy circles that setting the residential broadband bar at 3Mbps down and 1Mbps up is adequate.

Well I'm here today to refute that thinking, to show that this isn't enough bandwidth to support today's applications let alone tomorrow's, and to lay out the ramifications of what happens if we set inadequate goals for broadband. To start with, let's take a look at some of the apps that already exist today that need more than 3Mbps down and 1Mbps up...

Still waiting for broadband stimulus, prospects not as bright as once hoped

Broadband stimulus project revenues probably will not show up in Adtran's sales figures until 2010, Thomas R. Stanton, Adtran CEO, said though earlier in the year the firm had been hopeful some revenues would be seen in the 2009 calendar year. Also, the magnitude of spending by recipients for firms such as Adtran is no longer as clear as once was believed.

According to company officials, there still remains a possibility that some lead spending could occur as early as December, and Adtran expects actual impact sometime in the first quarter 2010...

Are restrictions stopping companies from applying for broadband stimulus funding?

While many companies and states are anxiously awaiting funding approval from the federal broadband stimulus program, Tom Staton, CEO of Adtran, said, during an equipment vendor’s earnings call on Oct. 14.

Due to requirements attached with the application process to request broadband funding, tier-two and tier-three carriers such as CenturyLink andWindstream ( News - Alert) opted not to apply for the funds, as a way to not waste unnecessary time with requirements such as network neutrality and data disclosure...

Join the Discussion - OpenInternet.gov

The Internet’s open architecture has enabled this network of networks to become a unparalleled platform for innovation and speech, as well as an enduring engine for economic growth. Last month, I proposed that the FCC adopt a fair and high-level framework to preserve an open Internet.

While my goals are clear, the path to achieving them involves many hard questions about how best to maximize the innovation and investment necessary for a robust and thriving Internet. Getting input from all stakeholders will be important as the Commission begins to address many critical questions. That is why we launched OpenInternet.gov...

Businesses need 'thoughtful projects' to secure broadband stimulus funds: Panelists

As federal officials approach the final stages before unveiling recipients of the first $4 billion in broadband stimulus funds designed to boost high-speed Internet connections in rural areas, one thing is clear: There’s no shortage of requests for the federal money.

The government has already received $28 billion in requests. So, how can an applicant stand out in the crowded field? Businesses should craft a thoughtful, well-drafted proposal that involves contracting of professional project manager, an expert panel said this week...

Cisco’s $2.9 billion mobile Internet play

Given that NTIA funding for the National Broadband Plan will begin trickling in Next month, Cisco’s timing could not be better. During a regulatory panel at the COMPTEL PLUS Convention & Expo this week. Angela Simpson, advisor to the assistant secretary for NTIA, indicated that the NTIA has moved 18 applications to the second step of the vetting process–a sign that the $4.7 billion in broadband stimulus funds will begin to enter the market...

Philly tries again for municipal broadband | WHYY News and Information | WHYY

Philadelphia is trying a big municipal broadband project again. City officials hoped to set-up a wireless internet network that would cover the city, but the troubled system was sold to a private group.

Now the city is asking the federal government for more than $21 million dollars in stimulus money to build a hybrid network of fiber lines and wireless devices...

Are RLECs giving up on broadband stimulus? | Unfiltered

Tier-two and tier-three carriers may be giving up on the federal broadband stimulus program, according to one broadband equipment vendor CEO.

Several such carriers, such as CenturyLink (NYSE:CTL) and Windstream (NYSE:WIN), did not apply for stimulus funds due to the requirements attached, such as network neutrality and data disclosure. (Frontier Communications applied, but only in one state.) But some industry observers expected those carriers to try applying in later rounds once changes in the qualification process were made. Windstream, for example, said last month that it was working to convince federal administrators to change those rules...

Dear NTIA/RUS: Why not let the public have its say?

So here's where things currently stand regarding the broadband stimulus as I see them:

- It's been eight months since the stimulus passed, and the only money to be awarded has been to four states for mapping.

- It's been roughly six months since the public had a chance to provide any input on this rulemaking, review, and approval process...

New rules

Whether it was due to net neutrality concerns, the possibility that the federal government would have greater control over their business dealings, limited resources to put together applications or whatever, many companies that could’ve participated in the first round of the broadband stimulus sat this one out. But for those that think they may now be ready to take the plunge, theFCC (

News - Alert) should be releasing rules for the next one or two funding rounds in short order.

A Notice of Funds Availability (NOFA) document laying out the rules for the second (and/or final, depending upon whether there is one or there are two rounds left, which has yet to be decided) should be issued by the FCC in the fourth quarter, with the second round application process opening shortly after that. The FCC released a NOFA for the first round, but given this is all a learning process, the agency expects to tweak, if not completely overhaul, the rules for future round(s)...

Central coast city poised for big broadband business ideal location and ARRA funds may give Grover Beach a corner on the market

Grover Beach, CA (PRWEB) October 14, 2009 -- A California beach town is geographically poised―now preparing a Technology Master Plan―to become a hub for broadband communications on the west coast. The City of Grover Beach, located halfway between San Francisco and Los Angeles on California's central coast, has successfully submitted an application for federal stimulus monies made available from President Obama's American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) of 2009 for broadband.

Grover Beach is located in San Luis Obispo County, which is a landing point for fiber optic cable connecting the U.S. to Japan, making the city ideally positioned for the building of a fiber-optic cable infrastructure, allowing strong and direct connections to the Asian markets. With fiscal help from ARRA, and technical guidance from Digital West Networks Inc., Grover Beach will now be well-equipped, both financially and technologically, to implement the plan that would make it possible.

Island town off of Maine's coast seeks broadband stimulus funding

Two years after gaining independence from the mainland Maine town of Cumberland, Chebeague Island is seeking $75,000 in loans and $73,470 in grant money from the federal government to extend high-speed Internet services under the so-called “broadband stimulus” program.

The federal government – specifically, the National Telecommunications and Information Administration, the U.S. Department of Commerce agency that advises the president on telecom policy – said it hopes to begin awarding grants early in November...

National libraries to push for broadband stimulus funding

Telecom majors and United States cities are not the only ones applying for broadband federal stimulus funding in the broadband sector.

It seems as if national public libraries, as a major source of Internet access, are seeking to accrue some of the funds allotted by applying for grants as well. A group of foundations, companies and trade and government agencies are combining thoughts to build support to bring fiber optic technology to the country’s 16,500 libraries...

Existing rural providers should receive broadband stimulus funding: Applicant

With the amount of internal resources and know-how required to apply for federal dollars under the government’s broadband stimulus program, smaller organizations had a very difficult time navigating the process, according to the head of one Gualala, Calif.-based cable TV company that’s seeking to restore high-speed broadband Internet services to a remote area of the state that’s been without them fore more than two years.

Thomas E. Gelardi, owner and LLC manager of Central Valley Cable TV, LLC , told TMCnet in an interview (printed in full below) that gathering engineering certifications, legal opinions and financial statements “was, to say the least, taxing...”

Broadband stimulus: NTIA has Nov. award date in sight

COMPTEL PLUS — The National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) continues to cull through broadband stimulus grant applications, seven days each week, in hopes of awarding the first round of money by its somewhat-nebulous November deadline.

“We are on track,” said Angela Simpson, advisor to the assistant secretary for NTIA, during a regulatory panel at the Fall 2009 COMPTEL PLUS Convention & Expo this week...

Feds should change definition of 'remote': Broadband stimulus applicant

The federal government’s definition of “remote” in broadband stimulus applications must change in order for the closely watched program to be truly successful, according ot the head of a Airfield, Calif.-based company that connects customers in rural northern California with fast, reliable Internet connections that match even surpass traditional DSL and cable providers.

According to Ofer Tenenbaum, general manager and co-founder of Personal Network Computing, Inc. dba Valley Internet, the economics “are not there for the private sector to pay for the capital needed to bring broadband to rural areas, and loans don’t make sense there as well...”

Bandwidth boost for libraries gaining support -- Broadband -- InformationWeek

An effort to make the nation's public libraries a major source of robust Internet access is gaining momentum as a disparate group of foundations, companies, and trade and government agencies weigh in with plans to build support for bringing fiber optic technology to the country's 16,500 libraries.

The drive has attracted supporters that range from

Google and the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation to Congressman Rick Boucher (D-VA) and the National Association of Telecommunications Officers and Advisors (NATOA). Boucher, who is House Communications Subcommittee chairman, has already told FCC chairman Julius Genachowski that a plan to equip public libraries should focus on delivering "extraordinarily high bandwidth" to libraries...

Fixed wireless continues to thrive in the background — WIMAX

When you think of WiMAX, what's the first thing that comes to your mind? Is it the ability to connect with your laptop or a WiMAX-enabled smartphone to a mobile network at much higher speeds than today's 3G networks? Or do you think of WiMAX's role as a fixed wireless technology, which is key to cost-effectively extending broadband service to underserved rural areas as part of the U.S. broadband stimulus?

If we look at the amount of attention that is paid to the two different deployment types - mobile and fixed - in the media, it would indicate that people are far more excited about mobile WiMAX than they are about fixed wireless...

Gates Foundation proposal – Linchpin to National Broadband Strategy? « Fighting the Next Good Fight

A few days ago the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation sent analysis data to the FCC postulating that $5 – $10 billion could install fiber networks in most of the anchor institutions (hospitals, medical facilities, schools) in the U.S. The FCC quickly issued a public request for comment to validate the financial and technology assumptions in the Foundation’s analysis.

My strategic mind scooted past the numbers to ponder a question that should always be near the top of people’s thinking on broadband: does wiring 98,400, or 80% of all U.S. anchor institutions, that lack Net access make good business sense?...

Poor regions to receive high-speed stimulus - Tonic

Believe it or not, many poorer and remote areas of the United States still do not have broadband connections, a fact likely lost on most urban dwellers who have been immersed in high-speed Internet for years. "Dial-up" -- what's that?

Thankfully, a chunk of the nearly $1 trillion economic stimulus funds will go toward bringing many of these under-served regions into the 21st century, the San Jose Mercury News reports. Roughly $7.2 billion is earmarked for broadband-access projects and the government is set to award $4 billion of that soon, the article explains...

2,200 vying for feds' high-speed Internet grants -- OrlandoSentinel.com

The federal government is sorting through 2,200 applications seeking $28 billion to bring high speed Internet access to more people, officials said at an Orlando technology conference Monday.

But the agencies only have $4 billion to spend, meaning many of the municipalities, non-profit groups and telecommunications providers will be turned away. The awards are expected to be announced next month...

The first $4 billion in rural broadband stimulus soon to be handed out: WNC consortium asks for $38 million - Ashvegas - Ashvegas

I did a quick review of North Carolina projects, and list a few of note below. First, let me highlight the big one for Western North Carolina - a $38 million request from the Education & Research Consortium of Asheville. Here it is...

Research shows future of smart meters & broadband

With recent news of companies investing time and money in developing smart meters as a way to advance their efforts in the smart grid, it’s no wonder companies are jumping at the chance to become involved in, or report on, the smart grid segment...

Feds to make tough choices with broadband stimulus funds

Federal officials are expected soon to dole out the first $4 billion in broadband stimulus funds designed to boost high-speed Internet connections in rural areas. The only the problem is the government has received $28 billion in requests.

And now reviewers at the Commerce and Agriculture Departments – the agency tasked with award the federal money – are facing some difficult choices. Each of the 2,200 applications the department received have a different vision. Some want more fiber-optic lines, while others are seeking computer labs or municipal wireless networks, according to a report by The Associated Press...

Broadband mapping: Treasure for a new age | Articles

In the olden days, explorers paid a lot of money for maps that they hoped would lead to buried treasure. Things apparently haven’t changed too much from the days of Hernando Cortez and Ponce de Leon, as broadband mapping companies hope to find their pot of gold – or at least a respectable return -- from creating maps that the government will use to judge broadband stimulus applications.

The issue is highly contentious, however. While broadband mapping has been ongoing for years, it became a far more interesting industry segment when The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 became law. ARRA includes $7.2 billion to extend broadband access to areas – mostly rural – that are underserved or unserved today. ARRA also mandates $350 million for creation of broadband maps that can nail down more precisely where the billions of dollars should go...

Summers letter defends stimulus - Real Time Economics - WSJ

The following is the full text of a letter sent to House Minority Leader John Boehner (R., Ohio) from National Economic Council Director Lawrence Summers:

President Obama appreciated receiving your letter regarding our nation’s economy and wanted to be sure that I provided you with a comprehensive response to your concerns. The President has said many times this year that his highest priority is creating jobs and restoring durable economic growth and fiscal responsibility to our nation. To understand the Administration’s economic approach, it is important to understand recent economic history. The most recent economic expansion was weak compared to previous expansions with respect to both job growth and our nation’s fiscal circumstances...

How turnkey can open community fiber become?

The open community fiber network is transforming from an experimental ad-hoc endeavor to a more commercialized market, thanks in part to the promise of broadband stimulus funds.

Across the country, those in need of broadband have launched grassroots public/private partnerships for creating fast, open fiber networks that link municipalities, hospitals, schools and other key community members, leasing excess capacity to encourage private providers to deploy broadband where it wasn’t cost-effective before. But whereas those efforts have previously been trials by fire, they are now imagined on a much more massive scale...

Measuring broadband shouldn’t be this hard

The Government Accountability Office has discovered what pretty much everyone in telecom already knew: Despite the best efforts of bureaucrats and broadband advocates, we don’t really have solid data about broadband deployment and speeds that can be used to make national or international comparisons.

That’s a prime reason many are dismissive of the Organization for Economic and Cooperative Development’s rankings, which put the US 15^th in broadband penetration globally. They just aren’t counting right, OECD critics sniff...