Educators, cable: more cash for public computer centers

As everybody waits for the government to announce the winners in the first round of broadband stimulus grant awards, nine advocacy groups and a Time Warner Cable executive are calling for the Department of Commerce to boost the amount of funding available for public computer centers in round number two.

The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act allocated $7.2 billion for broadband stimulus. A minimum of $200 million of that was set aside to expand public computer center capacity. "While this amount is certainly helpful, the first round of grant funding shows that $200 million is simply not enough," a letter to Larry Strickling of the Department of Commerce insists. Libraries and community colleges "have been unable to keep up with the general public’s demand for public access computers..."

Federal officials seek a national strategy for getting broadband to every American

The economic stimulus package approved by Congress in February included $7.2 billion to help bring broadband internet access to more citizens. It also required the Federal Communications Commission to create a national broadband plan--an undertaking with important implications for schools.

The stimulus authorized the National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) to implement the Broadband Technology Opportunities Program (BTOP), which is a $4.7 billion, one-time competitive matching grants program. The funds are intended to expand broadband services to underserved areas, improve broadband access for public safety agencies, stimulate the economy, and create jobs. NTIA is implementing the program along side the Department of Agriculture's Rural Utilities Services, which received $2.5 billion for broadband loans, loan guarantees, and grants...

Tenn. county working to build on job growth started by boost from federal stimulus money

NASHVILLE, Tenn. — Perry County officials are looking for ways to make job gains more permanent after short-term federal stimulus money helped cut unemployment in the rural Tennessee county from the nation's highest rate in May to 16.4 percent in November.

In May, Gov. Phil Bredesen announced a plan to bring 300 government and private sector jobs to Perry County by using funds from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act and other federal funds through September 2010...

Broad economic stimulus with broadband

U.S. Vice President Joe Biden visited Dawsonville Dec. 17 and left a Christmas present that will keep on giving.

Georgia is one of 18 states receiving broadband project funding. This particular project is a loop that connects several northeast counties to Atlanta. The counties include Habersham, Rabun, White, Towns, Dawson, Lumpkin, Fannin, Gilmer, Union, Pickens, Cherokee, Forsyth and Fulton...

U.S. begins doling out billions for broadband - Washington Business Journal: Washington Bureau

The federal government announced an $183 million investment in 18 projects to expand broadband access around the country.

The economic stimulus bill provided $7.2 billion for loans and grants to spread broadband to rural areas and underserved urban communities. The 18 projects announced Dec. 17 are the first to receive this funding from the Department of Commerce's National Telecommunications and Information Administration and the Department of Agriculture's Rural Utilities Service...

FTTH Council lauds fiber’s share of initial broadband stimulus awards | MSO Optics News | Lightwave Online

DECEMBER 27, 2009 -- The first broadband stimulus grants and loans made under the Recovery Act indicate that the agencies responsible for those programs are looking to fiber-optic technology to meet the goals of job creation and economic development, according to the Fiber-to-the-Home (FTTH) Council.

"Given the large number of applications and the broad range of technologies proposed by applicants, it appears from this initial set of awards that the agencies are emphasizing fiber-driven networks as key to creating jobs and 'future-proofing' stimulus-funded projects," said Joe Savage, president of the FTTH Council...

Local businesses hope for stimulus money to boost high-speed Internet access -- OrlandoSentinel.com

A handful of Central Florida companies and organizations are hoping for late Christmas presents from the federal government in the form of millions of dollars in federal stimulus funds set aside for increasing access to high-speed Internet.

But they may be disappointed...

Sen. Brown, USDA Sec. Vilsack, Reps. Kilroy, Space highlight Ohio rural broadband project

WASHINGTON, DC – U.S. Sen. Sherrod Brown (D-OH) today joined U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Sec. Tom Vilsack to outline how more than $2 million in new funds for Ohio broadband expansion will help stimulate new economic growth and create jobs. Brown and Vilsack were joined by U.S. Reps. Mary Jo Kilroy (OH-15) and Zack Space (OH-18)...

2009 Year in Review: Broadband stimulus applications flood government agencies - FierceBroadbandWireless

The news: This past summer, nearly 2,200 bidders applied for almost $28 billion in broadband stimulus money from both the National Telecommunications & Information Administration (NTIA) and the Department of Agriculture's RUS fund. That is nearly seven times the $4 billion available for the program in the first round.

The bidders committed another $10.5 billion of their own money in matching funds, which means all of these bidders came forward with more than $38 billion in proposed projects. The statistics show more than 320 applicants sought nearly $2.5 billion for broadband awareness, training, access and support. Another 360 applications asked for a total of $1.9 billion for computer centers to expand broadband access. The remainder wanted funding for infrastructure projects...

ION awarded $39.7 million to build 1,300 mile broadband fiber network

ION HoldCo, LLC, a partnership majority owned by Sovernet Communications (a subsidiary of Atlantic Tele-Network, Inc. (NASDAQ:ATNI)) along with twelve independent rural telephone companies in New York, announced it has received a federal broadband stimulus grant of $39.7 million to augment its existing 2200 mile fiber network with 1,300 miles of additional fiber-optic middle-mile broadband network.

The project, the ION Upstate New York Rural Broadband Initiative, will be completed in partnership with the Development Authority of the North Country (DANC) and will enable high speed Internet access to underserved communities throughout upstate New York, along with parts of Vermont and Pennsylvania. An additional $9.9 million will be invested in the project by ION and DANC...

2009 Year in Review: Broadband stimulus applications flood government agencies - FierceBroadbandWireless

The news: This past summer, nearly 2,200 bidders applied for almost $28 billion in broadband stimulus money from both the National Telecommunications & Information Administration (NTIA) and the Department of Agriculture's RUS fund.

That is nearly seven times the $4 billion available for the program in the first round...

White House awards first broadband stimulus grants - Network World

New broadband projects, funded by the U.S. government, will open up economic and educational opportunities in rural northern Georgia and other states, U.S. Vice President Joe Biden said Thursday.

Biden called the first round of broadband grants and loans, announced Thursday, a "historic investment" for people in Georgia, New York, Maine and other states receiving US$182 million in economic stimulus funding from the U.S. government. Thursday's announcement was the first of $2 billion in broadband grants and loans President Barack Obama's administration will announce over the next month and a half...

Ohio gets stimulus money for broadband mapping - wtop.com

COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) - Ohio is getting $1.8 million in federal stimulus money to help create a map of where broadband Internet access is available and how fast it is.

The money is part of a larger effort to create a national map that will guide policies aimed at expanding high-speed Internet access. Stimulus awards to Ohio and 14 other states were announced this week by the U.S. Department of Commerce...

First round of broadband stimulus funds announced, three awards to libraries - 12/23/2009 - Library Journal

Public Computer Center awards
Among four such awards, made through the Department of Commerce, are two to libraries.

The Arizona State Library, Archives and Public Records got $1.3 million grant (match: $320,000) to enhance existing facilities in more than 80 public libraries throughout the state. More than 1000 computers will be added.

The city of Boston got a $1.9 million grant (match: $477,000) to expand computer and Internet capacity at the Boston Public Library (BPL) and its 25 branches, plus at 16 community centers and 11 public housing sites...

State wins $1.8M stimulus grant for broadband - Business First of Columbus:

Ohio has secured about $1.8 million in federal stimulus funding for a nationwide initiative aimed at increasing broadband Internet access.

The U.S. Department of Commerce’s National Telecommunications and Information Administration this week awarded about $1.3 million to the Ohio Office of Information Technology for a two-year data collection and mapping project. Another $500,000 was awarded for planning over a five-year period...

Vilsack highlights rural broadband project in Ohio

WASHINGTON, December 22, 2009 - Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack today highlighted the newly announced Recovery Act Broadband Infrastructure project in Ohio that will receive a grant worth $1 million and a loan worth nearly $1.4 million in funding through the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act.

Vice President Joseph Biden announced on December 17 during an event in Georgia that this project is among the first wave of broadband Recovery Act projects to be funded. Congress provided $2.5 billion in Recovery Act funding to USDA to help bring broadband services to rural un-served and underserved communities...

Broadband's big day: Stim fund handouts, FCC's National Plan

Those following the progress of U.S. broadband initiatives were going to need a bandwidth boost of their own Thursday; there was a lot of new data to digest.

Dual announcements captured the attention of industry officials and consumer advocates: Vice President Joe Biden announced the initial list of 18 projects to receive federal broadband stimulus funds, while Washington was still buzzing over the late Wednesday release of Federal Communications Commission proposals for bringing more U.S. homes under the high-speed Internet access umbrella...

National Broadband Plan sneak preview « Blandin on Broadband

Wednesday the FCC gave a sneak preview of its National Broadband Plan. I didn’t listen in on the session but I’ve checked out their materials online. So far I like a lot of what I see.

Broadband is part of the solution to the nation’s greatest challenges – that’s my favorite line from the presentation (Slide 30). The rest of the presentation supports the idea that broadband is a solution – not a problem – and we just need to tweak policies to ensure that we’re all part of the solution...

An early Christmas and a good start for the stimulus

Yesterday NTIA and RUS announced the first awardees in the first round of the broadband stimulus.

I have to admit, I was starting to wonder if they were going to be able to actually get anything announced before the end of the year, especially with the holidays right around the corner, but NTIA/RUS delivered and now 18 projects across 17 states get to enjoy an early and very merry Christmas...

Vice President Biden kicks off $7.2 billion Recovery Act broadband program | The White House

DAWSONVILLE, Ga. – Vice President Biden today kicked off $7.2 billion in Recovery Act broadband grant and loan programs, of which $2 billion will be made available on a rolling basis over the next 75 days to bring high-speed Internet to communities that currently have little or no access to the technology. At an event at Impulse Manufacturing in Dawsonville, Georgia, with Governor Sonny Perdue (R-GA), he announced an initial $183 million investment in eighteen broadband projects benefiting seventeen states which has already been matched by over $46 million in public and private sector capital. The awards are not only expected to provide initial job opportunities in infrastructure and manufacturing, but help bridge the digital divide and boost economic development for communities held back by limited or no access to the technology.

“New broadband access means more capacity and better reliability in rural areas and underserved urban communities around the country. Businesses will be able to improve their customer service and better compete around the world,” said Vice President Biden. “This is what the Recovery Act is all about – sparking new growth, tapping into the ingenuity of the American people and giving folks the tools they need to help build a new economy in the 21st-century...”

Recovery Act: Cable shortchanged - Telecom News Analysis

Granted, there's a lot more to be doled out, but the cable guys almost came up empty Thursday when the feds announced who won the first $182 million in broadband stimulus grants. (See Recovery Act: $182M Awarded for Broadband.)

There's still more than $7 billion left to be handed out, but here's a listing of the early winners, which include 18 separate broadband projects in 17 states...

Maine gets $25.4M to expand high-speed Internet

PORTLAND, Maine — A $25.4 million federal stimulus grant announced Thursday will be used to build a 1,100-mile fiber optic network connecting the far reaches of Maine, bringing high-speed Internet to thousands of people like Jim Fisher who can't get broadband service through cable or phone lines.

Fisher, who designs and maintains Web sites for several nonprofits in his spare time, said there's no high-speed Internet in the part of Blue Hill where he lives. And his satellite-based service goes out in bad weather, including fog, rain and snow, forcing him to go "skulking" about town looking for a wireless Internet connection...

Stimulus plan bringing broadband Internet to Delaware | Delaware County real estate & events

On Thursday it was announced that Consolidated Electric Power was chosen to receive stimulus money to bring broadband internet to rural Delaware and Morrow Counties and open up the area for further economic development.

The program administered by the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Rural Utilities Service awarded $2.4 million of the estimated $3.7 million that Consolidated Electric’s plan would require, according to Consolidated Electric’s Web site...

Philadelphia repurchases city Wi-Fi network for $2M - PC Magazine

More than a year after EarthLink ditched plans for a city-wide Wi-Fi network, Philadelphia officials announced that they will repurchase the existing wireless assets from Network Acquisition Company (NAC) for $2 million and build the system itself.

The city plans to create a "multi-purpose public safety and municipal wireless network that will improve government operations as well as providing free Internet to citizens in targeted public spaces," the city said in a statement...

Obama administration to announce first $182 million in stimulus funding for broadband | San Francisco Examiner

DAWSONVILLE, GA. — Vice President Joe Biden on Thursday announced the first $182 million in federal stimulus money for 18 projects to expand high-speed Internet networks in rural areas and other underserved communities.

Biden spoke at Impulse Manufacturing, a technologically advanced metalworks plant in north Georgia whose business has been held back by the lack of a broadband network in its part of the state...

Legal Ruralism: Coming soon: more broadband for rural America

Vice President Joe Biden was just in Dawsonville, GA, a small rural town (pop. 619), to announce eighteen projects that will receive $183 million in federal funding (collectively) to bring high speed Internet service to rural places. Biden spoke at Impulse Manufacturing, a metalworks plant in north Georgia whose business has been stunted by the lack of a broadband network in that part of the state.

The government recently set aside $7.4 billion dollars in stimulus funding for rural broadband service, as Internet service providers overlook many poor neighborhoods, rural areas, and Native American communities. Federal programs plan to distribute about $2 billion over the next couple of months, while the balance of the $7.4 billion has been spent on mapping projects or will be distributed in a final round of grants...

What the first broadband stimulus awards tell us about how to win

Dec 18, 2009 3:20 PM, By Ed Gubbins

It’s too soon to say how well the first broadband stimulus fund awards will represent the awards that follow (they represent less than 10% of the first-round funds, and the rules may change for the second round), but given how publicly the White House touted these first picks, it would seem they’re intended to be exemplary, to some degree, of what the administration wants in an applicant.

Assuming that’s true, what do these early winners tell us about how to win broadband stimulus funds? Here are a few rough observations...

Feds favor the middle-mile for stimulus money : Communications Technology

Last week the federal government finally let go of some of that money it's been flashing around for broadband stimulus. The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act will eventually be providing $7.2 billion to stimulate the economy with more broadband infrastructure, but for the first round, the government awarded $182 million for 18 projects.

Four different types of awards were made, but the lion's share went to middle mile projects...

7 steps to 100 percent broadband by 2014 - AT&T Public Policy

The term "broadband" no longer simply means a faster version of dial-up Internet. It has evolved to include different platforms, different users, and different uses.

A National Broadband Plan needs to recognize and embrace all these platforms, users, and services. This will help ensure 100 percent broadband access, and deliver the many societal benefits that will, in turn, promote 100 percent broadband adoption...

FCC issues proposals to meet national broadband plan - washingtonpost.com

The Federal Communications Commission on Wednesday unveiled a laundry list of proposals to meet a congressional mandate to give every U.S. home access to high-speed Internet service.

The recommendations, which come just two months before the agency must present its final national broadband plan to Congress, include revising a rural phone subsidy program, revamping the market for television set-top boxes and redirecting more airwaves to wireless services...

First broadband stimulus funds awarded

The first broadband stimulus grants and loans – about $182 million worth – finally have been awarded. Middle-mile and wireless projects, a computer center and one fiber-to-the home project are among the initial awards, the Associated Press reported.

Of the first six projects, only two directly address construction of additional access facilities for user homes. Three construct middle-mile regional fiber networks while one builds a library computing center.

A combined grant and loan of $2.4 million was made to the Consolidated Electric Cooperative in north central Ohio to build a 166-mile fiber network that will be used, among other things, to connect 16 electrical substations to support a smart grid project...

97.5% of Colorado households have broadband availability - The Denver Post

High-speed Internet service is available to 97.5 percent of Colorado households, but access in rural communities falls far below that mark, according to a new state-commissioned report.

While almost every household in metro Denver can subscribe to broadband service, 15 mostly rural counties have availability of less than 80 percent, the report states. Custer County, a community of roughly 4,000 residents about 50 miles west of Pueblo, has the lowest rate at 56 percent...

Broadband stimulus: Ditch 10-year clause, industry begs

Telecom industry players across the board want the federal government to relax the restrictions on sales of assets paid for with broadband stimulus grant money. That was the word from companies and associations in public comments recommending how to change the rules for the second stage of funding, to be conducted by the National Telecommunications and Industry Association (NTIA) and Rural Utilities Service (RUS).

Under the yet-to-be-awarded first round, broadband facilities built with government money cannot be leased or sold unless the feds say it’s OK – and even then, that can’t happen for at least 10 years. Plus, the buyer or renter must agree to fulfill terms laid out in the stimulus requirements, and the transaction must be part of the original funds application and project proposal...

State awarded $2 million grant - Pittsburg, KS - Morning Sun

PITTSBURG — It has been compared to the rural electrification from the early 1900s and state officials feel that its impact will be just as significant.

This week, Kansas was awarded $2 million in a federal grant as part of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, which is part of a larger, $7 billion that have been set aside to invest in infrastructure of rural broadband Internet...

WiFi for America’s heartland — Roll-ups roll out their plans « SmallCapWorld

The centerpiece on the federal government’s holiday table may be the surprisingly fast pace of repayment of bailout funds by the big money-center banks. There are also claims for job creation from spending the stimulus money, especially considering the initial jobs report for November showed only 11,000 jobs were eliminated in the month. But inevitably (this is Washington DC after all) there are also charges of money slipping through the cracks and — uh-oh — disappearing. And more than one boffin has noticed a cart-before-the-horse pattern to some stimulus programs.

The Rural Broadband stimulus package, for instance, is being administered by the RUS and the NTIA (Rural Utilities Service and National Telecommunications and Information Administration), neither of which has much experience with awarding big grants — and it may that neither of them has a MAP of which areas are underserved by current broadband suppliers. If you can stand the boredom, there is a report by the Government Accountability Office (GAO) with the revealing title: “Agencies are Addressing Broadband Program Challenges, but Actions are Needed to Improve Implementation.” (http://www.gao.gov/products/GAO-10-80). Here is a take on the situation from The Industry Standard: http://www.thestandard.com/news/2009/12/02/groups-urge-changes-broadband-stimulus-programs?page=0%2C0

Kansas to use stimulus funds to boost broadband

Kansas will use a new federal grant to identify gaps in access to broadband services and build the infrastructure for economic recovery, the lieutenant governor said Monday.

The state recently was awarded $2 million in federal funds from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, a portion of the $7.2 billion earmarked in the program for broadband infrastructure nationwide...

Broadband project gets extra $1 million | HamptonRoads.com | PilotOnline.com

The broadband project to provide high-speed Internet access on the Eastern Shore has received an additional $1 million in federal stimulus funds, Gov. Timothy M. Kaine announced.

The money is expected to create 20 jobs and is targeted toward development of a broadband network in Northampton County to connect the towns of Nassawadox, Exmore, Willis Wharf and Belle Haven...

South Dakota groups apply for $250 million in broadband stimulus

Among the stimulus dollars still to be pumped into the economy: $4 billion in grants and $3.2 billion in loans to expand broadband Internet access to underserved areas. The feds have received 1130 applications to build "last-mile" services—the projects that lay the cable or erect the towers that get signal to people's houses and businesses.

A quarter of those applications have come from companies and organizations looking to extend WiMAX wireless systems. Nationwide, WiMAX vendors have submitted $1.6 billion worth of requests for stimulus funding, out of a pile of last-mile funding requests totaling $14.2 billion...

FCC explains its broadband plan - Telecom News Analysis

MENLO PARK, Calif. -- The important thing to remember about the U.S. National Broadband Plan is that it's not going to fix everything.

Blair Levin, a former Federal Communications Commission (FCC) chief of staff who's returned to run the FCC's broadband initiative, and Carlos Kirjner, senior adviser to the FCC chairman, spoke at an informal gathering of about 50 people this morning, organized by Silicon Valley's Churchill Club. Everyone crammed into a cozy conference room at the law offices of Goodwin Proctor to get an update on just what this Broadband Plan includes and why the FCC deems it necessary.

Stimulus could give residents new broadband opportunities - News

Kent residents may soon have the opportunity to be trained in developing broadband content and Web site content if Northeastern Educational Television of Ohio is granted a $1.3 million broadband stimulus grant from the U.S. National Telecommunications and Information Administration.

NETO, which is headed by Western Reserve Public Media (public TV stations WNEO and WEAO), has submitted a broadband stimulus grant application to the Broadband Technology Opportunities Program, a government program that provides stimulus money for broadband education. NETO hopes to expand technology to the public with its "Regional Fusion: The Central Authority for All Things Regional" plan...

Remarks by the President and Vice President at the Opening Session of the Jobs and Economic Growth Forum | The White House

THE VICE PRESIDENT: Within the next two weeks to a month, another roughly $13 billion is going to be announced rolling out in terms of both investments in broadband and high-speed rail, and competitive education and infrastructure. In fact, the money spent on clean water, renewable energy, superfund sites, and much more, is going to more than double -- it's going to more than double in this quarter and will maintain a similar pace for the next two quarters.

THE PRESIDENT: I want to hear about what unions and universities can do to better support and prepare our workers -- not just for the jobs of today, but for the jobs five years from now and 10 years from now and 50 years from now. I want to hear about what mayors and community leaders can do to bring new investment to our cities and towns and help recovery dollars get to where they need to go as quickly as possible. I want to hear from CEOs about what's holding back our business investment and how we can increase confidence and spur hiring. And if there are things that we're doing here in Washington that are inhibiting you, then we want to know about it...

Interview: EchoStar on its broadband stimulus applications

Most all broadband stimulus applicants claim they’ll use federal grants to reach U.S. citizens in unserved and underserved areas – but how many will actually reach every single household in the United States?

That’s the question satellite Internet pioneer EchoStar said it hopes the NTIA – the federal agency responsible for doling out $7.2 billion in at least two rounds of funding – will ask itself as it weighs the pros and cons of each applicant...

Adoption key theme @ Supernova

Day two at Supernova brought with it more robust conversations, particularly around the FCC’s National Broadband Plan. On a panel sponsored by Verizon and Comcast, Paul Brigner, Verizon, Joe Waz, Comcast, Nicol Turner-Lee, Joint Center, Chris Riley, Free Press, and Rachelle Chong, California PUC Commissioner all shared their perspectives on what the FCC should be focusing on as it crafts the plan due to the President and Congress early next year.

Verizon’s Brigner shared some interesting stats – one especially highlights the “adoption challenge” we have in the U.S. as it relates to broadband. Brigner referenced the 30 million households throughout the country who have access to high-speed Internet service, but who choose not to adopt. There was some debate on how much price has to do with it (note: according to the Pew Internet and American Life Project, only about 5% of Americans say they don’t have broadband due to its cost). But there is near consensus on the need to educate people on the many ways broadband enables a higher quality of life...

Additional research required on broadband - Ball State University - pitchengine.com

12.03.2009 – MUNCIE, Ind. – A closer examination of recent efforts to deregulate telecommunication industries within various states — along with evidence of accompanying economic growth — is necessary before the federal government crafts a new national broadband policy, say Ball State University researchers.

Based on Ball State's leadership in the field of emerging media and its Digital Policy Institute's (DPI) broadband expertise, the university was contacted to submit several recommendations about a study conducted for the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) by Harvard University's Berkman Center for Internet and Society. The center was charged with providing an expert review of existing literature and studies about broadband deployment policies pursued by other countries...

ADTRAN weighs in on rule changes for broadband stimulus program

As applicants anxiously await news on who will receive broadband stimulus funding under the first round of the federal grant and loan program, organizations and businesses are already offering their input to help influence the regulations governing the second round of applications.

One such company that continues to stand on the frontlines is ADTRAN, a provider of networking and communications equipment. Company officials said they are actively participating in discussions around broadband stimulus to improve the program and enhance it for applicants...

Industry groups offer input on second-round broadband stimulus rules

Various industry groups in recent days have voiced their opinions about the broadband stimulus effort to date and provided their input on how the rules might be tweaked for the second and final round.

The National Telecommunications Cooperative Association has reportedly asked that the National Telecommunications and Information Administration and the Rural Utilities Service to delay broadband stimulus awards until March to give them more time to study and fix the “known flaws” in the rules...

Broadband stimulus funds for Washington libraries?

The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation has announced some potentially exciting news for Washington: We are one of 14 states partnering with the foundation to help public libraries compete for federal broadband stimulus funds.

According to word from the Gates Foundation, Washington will participate in the foundation’s new Opportunity Online broadband grant program, which will help libraries develop proposals to apply for federal broadband stimulus dollars available through the National Telecommunications & Information Administration’s Broadband Technology Opportunities Program...

Research: Economic impact of broadband stimulus

In Drs. Katz’ and Suter’s research paper on the Broadband Stimulus Plan, they investigate the potential jobs that could be produced using funding from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009. The paper does take in consideration jobs generated by grant monies and jobs created by network deployment.

The study concludes that:

* Network infrastructure construction could produce 128,000 jobs (32,000/year) over a four year period.
* Estimated cost/job is $50,000.
* The impact of “network externalities” may produce 0 to 270,000 jobs over four years (or roughly 67,500 jobs/year)...

FCC seeks revamp of phone subsidy - WSJ.com

WASHINGTON -- Federal Communications Commission chairman Julius Genachowski said he wants to overhaul a $7 billion federal phone-subsidy program and reallocate more airwaves to wireless carriers as part of a strategy to improve U.S. broadband Internet availability.

Mr. Genachowski's comments Tuesday at a conference here are the latest signals that the FCC chairman is determined to shake up the status quo to make fast Internet service cheaper and more widely available...

FCC to catalog white space spectrum -- InformationWeek

In a move that could bring white-space devices one step closer, the Federal Communication Commission is teaming with the private sector to create databases that catalog the available spectrum in various markets.

White spaces are the unused spectrum between television signals that essentially act as a buffer between channels. Companies likeMicrosoft (NSDQ: MSFT), Google (NSDQ: GOOG), and Intel (NSDQ: INTC) have said there is massive potential to use this spectrum in an unlicensed way to provide cheap, long-range broadband connectivity. The FCC's database will identify what spectrum is usable in each market, and this information will be critical for device makers hoping to utilize white spaces...

Cable firms: Give poorer kids broadband discounts - Reviews by PC Magazine

Six states on Monday were awarded more than $11 million in federal stimulus funds, which will be used to gather data for a nationwide broadband mapping initiative.

The cable industry, meanwhile, proposed Tuesday that the government consider devoting some of the funds in its second round of federal broadband grants for a public-private partnership intended to increase broadband adoption among middle-school-aged kids...

NCTA offers ‘Adoption Plus’ plan to leap digital divide

The National Cable & Telecommunications Association is proposing a program – “Adoption Plus” or "A+" – designed to bring broadband access to students in need. The idea is to have the federal government fund computer literacy programs for qualifying middle school children; discounted computers would then be made available to these students, and if those two conditions were met, participating cable operators would offer entry-tier broadband service at a 50 percent discount.

Middle school students would qualify to participate if they were also participating in the school lunch program . There are about 3.5 million children in those grade levels in that program...

FCC plans to turn over private data to aid broadband stimulus | Unfiltered

The public has until Monday (Dec. 7) to comment on plans the FCC announced the day before Thanksgiving to release its vast database of private telecom services to the National Telecommunications and Information Administration for it to use in evaluating whether broadband stimulus proposals refer to so-called “unserved” and “underserved” areas.

The FCC is considering handing over to the NTIA information in its 477 forms, which facilities-based service providers are required to submit twice a year. The forms detail each provider’s voice and broadband service subscribers and availability along with the maximum speeds of each service and other information. The FCC has historically allowed companies to request the information to be kept confidential but includes that information, aggregated anonymously, in published reports. NTIA, in its request for the data, said it would keep confidential information private, adhering if necessary to the same process the FCC uses in response to public requests filed under the Freedom of Information Act...

CITI report: $182 billion private broadband investment projected through 2015 | Speed Matters – Internet Speed Test

A new report on broadband investments estimates telecom industry capital investment at $69 billion in 2008 and $60 billion in 2009. About half that amount -- about $30 billion annually -- was spent on broadband infrastructure.

The FCC National Broadband Plan task force asked the Columbia Institute for Tele-Information (CITI) to prepare a report on broadband deployment based on publically announced data from American companies...

TIA weighs in on improvements for second round of broadband stimulus funding - 2009-11-30 22:41:33 | Multichannel News

The government agencies responsible for handing out over $7 billion in broadband stimulus money are getting plenty of advice on how to improve its second, and final, round of grants/loans.

The National Telecommunications & Information Administration and Rural Utilities Service have been collecting public comments on how to improve the process after getting criticism from industry, Congress and elsewhere over how it handled the first round of bidding, winners for which are expected to be announced in the next couple of weeks...

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...

More broadband mapping grants awarded | Telecompetitor

NTIA announced it has awarded six additional grants for broadband mapping worth $11.2 million. The awards will go to state government designated projects in Arkansas, Colorado, Delaware, Kansas, Louisiana and Missouri (details provided below).

To date, NTIA has awarded 21 broadband mapping grants, all of which fall under the State Broadband Data and Development Grant Program. “This program will advance efforts to expand broadband access and adoption nationwide, which is vital to job creation and economic recovery,” said Assistant Secretary for Communications and Information and NTIA Administrator Lawrence E. Strickling...

Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation announces new support for public libraries

SEATTLE, Dec. 1 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation today committed nearly $3.4 million in grants to bolster Internet connections for libraries in five states. It also announced partnerships with 14 additional states to help public libraries compete for federal broadband stimulus funds. Nationally, libraries report that patron demand for high-speed Internet access is growing faster than their ability to provide increased bandwidth. A recent American Library Association study reports that 60 percent of all libraries say their current Internet speed is insufficient.

State libraries in Arkansas ($735,207), Kansas ($363,099), Massachusetts ($367,789), New York ($947,517), and Virginia ($977,468) received foundation funds to execute statewide plans to improve and maintain Internet connections in local libraries. Alaska, Arizona, Colorado, Delaware, Idaho, Kentucky, Montana, North Carolina, Nebraska, New Jersey, Oklahoma, Utah, Vermont, and Washington will participate in the foundation's new Opportunity Online broadband grant program, which will help libraries develop proposals for federal broadband stimulus funding from the National Telecommunications and Information Administration's (NTIA) Broadband Technology Opportunities Program established through the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act...

WiMAX™ accounts for more than 25 percent of last mile applications for U.S. broadband stimulus funds

FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. --(Business Wire)-- Dec 01, 2009 Over 300 WiMAX applications accounted for one-fourth of the total last mile broadband stimulus applications received by the National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) and the Department of Agriculture's RUS fund, according to the WiMAX Forum. In total, WiMAX-related applicants applied for $1.6 billion of the $14.212 billion requested by the 1,130 total applicants for last mile deployments. The turnout shows the strong potential for WiMAX helping to end the digital divide in the U.S. at a significantly lower cost than traditional wireline deployments.

“WiMAX can be deployed over wide areas to serve thousands of consumers cheaper and faster than traditional wireline services,” said Ron Resnick, president and chairman of the WiMAX Forum. “For every dollar spent on a new network, a WiMAX operator can cover 10 to 20 times the number of homes and businesses with WiMAX service than they can cover with wireline. These savings are passed along to the customer, who spends only $25-35 a month on a WiMAX connection with comparable speed to a $50-60 cable or wireline connection...”