The $800 billion Economic Stimulus package will go to the President in the next few days. For infrastructure, some $7 billion is authorized to bring broadband Internet service to underserved areas, but the measure lacks tax credits for wireless carriers and other service providers, notes RCR Wireless News.
Other infrastructure spending includes $46 billion for transportation projects, $27 billion for highway and bridge construction and repair; $8.4 billion for mass transit; $8 billion for construction of high-speed railways and $1.3 billion for Amtrak; $4.6 billion for the Army Corps of Engineers; $4 billion for public housing improvements; $6.4 billion for clean- and drinking-water projects. For homeland security, $2.8 billion will be allocated, including $1 billion for airport screening equipment.
Stacey Higginbotham at GigaOm has details on the $789 billion stimulus plan, as it relates to broadband. You can check out the legislation, here. They’ve outlined what the $7.2 million devoted to broadband funding will buy. The tax credits, are no longer there.
- The grants will be split among two agencies — something most broadband proponents were against. The National Telecommunications and Information Administration will administer $4.7 billion, and the Department of Agriculture’s Rural Utilities Service will administer $2.5 billion, which may cause problems for the rural ISPs.
- The federal government, which currently defines broadband at 768 kbps, will determine appropriate speeds for the underserved areas getting grants.
- The grants must all be dispersed by Sept. 30, 2010, and those receiving them have two years to build out infrastructure. Additionally, the FCC has one year to come up with a comprehensive national broadband plan to provide universal coverage and encourage citizens to use the network.
The main objective of the broadband grant program is to create jobs in the near term, says RCR Wireless News, but the Obama administration and congressional Democrats plan to take additional steps later to expand the availability of high-speed Internet access in the United States.
