"The American Reinvestment and Recovery Act, which was signed
into law last month, includes a total of $7.2 billion in stimulus
funds for broadband -- including $4.7 billion for the National
Telecommunication and Information Administration (NTIA)’s
Broadband Technology Opportunities Program, and $2.5 billion for
the Rural Utilities Service (RUS).
"The details of how that money will be allocated, however, could
use some clarification.
"To help eligible companies understand the procedures, the NTIA,
the RUS and the FCC are holding the first of what is expected to be
a series of joint public meetings tomorrow, Tuesday, March 10th, at
the offices of the NTIA. The meeting agenda can be viewed here [PDF
file].
"In the meantime, the basic structure of the broadband stimulus
is relatively straightforward -- and unlike earlier drafts, it
includes only grants and no tax credits."
