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A few weeks ago RUS released the first batch of winners for the second round of the broadband stimulus program. While critical of how they handled the selection process and of how they chose primarily private closed networks in the...
I have some sad/disappointing news to report. I've learned that last week Gary Evans of Hiawatha Broadband was forced to send the following letter to the Secretary of Agriculture notifying him that his company would be unable to reapply in...
Dear Mr. Adelstein, As a supporter of you personally and a strong believer in the mission of RUS to help rural America get wired, I'm writing you this open letter to express the deep concern I and many others have...
America's broadband stimulus program continues to get more and more absurd. On March 22nd, NTIA released a list of the status of remaining BTOP applications. On that list were a number of applications still pending, their status unresolved despite having...
Last night CNN aired a story during the Situation Room highlighting two participants in the first round of the broadband stimulus. The first was Hiawatha Broadband, a terrific rural broadband deployer in southeastern Minnesota. They interviewed a host of people...
For anyone who's observed or experienced firsthand the first round of the broadband stimulus, the issues with how NTIA and RUS have handled things are rampant. Here are just a few of the questions that I and many others have...
Something dawned on me over the weekend about the broadband stimulus: public last mile projects had zero chance of receiving funding in Round I. But how could this be? Wasn't the stimulus supposed to prioritize public projects? Wasn't the stimulus...
Recently an analogy has sprung to mind describing how the broadband stimulus has run to date that I can't get out of my head. It's that of broadband stimulus applicants as Charlie Browns repeatedly trying to kick the football only...
One year ago today, Congress passed the ARRA, appropriating $7.2 billion to NTIA and RUS to stimulate broadband deployment across America. So how have they done so far? What have they gotten done in a year's time? Let's pull out...
With the second NOFA out, now is the time everyone must decide whether it's worth applying for stimulus dollars. While at first blush the answer may seem obvious as how can anyone turn down the opportunity at free money, when...
Last week I wrote about how NTIA and RUS were failing stimulus applicants by not communicating with them. While there has been some good news since then, namely that at least NTIA will be sending out rejection letters, I think...
On Friday afternoon NTIA/RUS slipped the NOFA for the second round of the stimulus out their front door, starting the two-month clock on the next opportunity to make a grab for government dollars. Less than a fraction of the first...
There's been a lot of buzz around the benefits and relative viability of wiring all community anchor institutions (schools, libraries, hospitals, etc.) with fiber as the way to get the best bang for the broadband buck. But recent conversations with...
As I argued last week, the second round of the broadband stimulus is in trouble if the only changes it makes are expanding eligibility and extending the time available to apply. NTIA and RUS have had enough trouble dealing with...
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...
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...
[Edit: Was just notified by the inimitable Christopher Mitchell of Muninetworks.org that BroadbandUSA.gov has revised an error in their database that used to sort states based on where the applicants were located rather than the project service areas. There are...
So the deadline for submitting applications for the first chunk of money from the broadband stimulus programs is basically today. NTIA and RUS have also announced that they're giving themselves a Sept 14th deadline for when they're going to unveil...
When Congress passed the stimulus back in February they allocated $2.5 billion to RUS to distribute as loans, grants, or loan guarantees to stimulate broadband deployment. When RUS released its NOFA a couple weeks ago it included the ability for...
One of the most troubling aspects of the NTIA/RUS NOFA is its requirements for unserved vs. underserved. Not only do the definitions limit subsidies to the most rural areas cutting out viable urban and suburban projects, but the data applicants...
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