Because every American
should have access
to broadband Internet.

The Internet Innovation Alliance is a broad-based coalition of business and non-profit organizations that aim to ensure every American, regardless of race, income or geography, has access to the critical tool that is broadband Internet. The IIA seeks to promote public policies that support equal opportunity for universal broadband availability and adoption so that everyone, everywhere can seize the benefits of the Internet - from education to health care, employment to community building, civic engagement and beyond.

The Podium

Blog posts tagged with 'Guidelines'

Friday, August 07

Worries From West Virginia

By Brad

Officials in West Virginia—which ranks near the bottom of states with access to broadband—are expressing concerns that the state may be left out in the cold when it comes to stimulus dollars. Much like the concerns from urban area officials, West Virginia’s problems stem from a definition in the broadband stimulus guidelines. The Charleston Daily Mail reports:

Dave Armentrout, chief operating officer of telecommunications provider FiberNet, is concerned that West Virginia may miss out on the $7.2 billion in federal stimulus money aimed at deploying broadband in rural and remote areas across the nation.

The way “remote area” has been defined by the federal agencies overseeing the program has eliminated most of West Virginia, “which we all know is ridiculous because West Virginia ranks in the top 47 or 48 states un-served by broadband,” Armentrout said.

When it comes to broadband grants, words indeed matter. Hopefully the NTIA will address the issues soon.

Thursday, July 02

Grant Guidelines and Old Man Winter

By Bruce

Yesterday the Agriculture and Commerce departments released guidelines for receiving a portion of the $7.2 billion set aside for high-speed Internet expansion in the federal stimulus. From July 14 to August 14, private companies, non-profits, and state and local governments can apply, with the winners expected to be announced in November.

Covered in the guidelines is the required speed of at least 768 kilobits/second downstream and 200 kilobits/second upstream. Underserved areas are defined as having no more than 50% broadband penetration in households.

While any progress is good progress when it comes to bringing high-speed Internet to more Americans, the timing of the grant awarding means that many projects—especially those in the northeast—could be delayed until the ground has thawed enough for trenches to be dug. This, unfortunately, might slow job creation, which was one of the major goals of the stimulus plan.

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