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...