New US Broadband Projects Get $795 Million In Funding

snydeq writes "The Obama administration has announced nearly $795 million in grants and loans to 66 new broadband projects across the nation. The subsidies — to be doled out by the US NTIA and the US Rural Utilities Service — will bring broadband service to 685,000 businesses, 900 health-care facilities, and 2,400 schools, according to officials. The NTIA will award $404 million to 29 projects, and the grants will finance 6,000 miles of new fiber-optic lines. Most of the money will finance middle-mile broadband network projects. The RUS will award $390.9 million, with $163 million in loans and the rest in grants. Most of the RUS money is focused on last-mile broadband projects."

Comments

Re:So how much of this will the telcos steal?

[commodore64_love]

>>>5.2 million for 60 folks?

Or forget the expensive fiber and upgrade the existing phone lines to DSL instead. Or existing cable lines to Cable Internet instead. That could be done for less than 0.1 million

But politicians don't understand the concept of choosing cheaper options to save money. They just spend regardless of cost

Re:So how much of this will the telcos steal?

[commodore64_love]

The 1996 Act did not provide a guarantee that 100% of americans would get an upgrade to 56k. Neither does the current Broadband plan. If you *choose* to live in a rural community, you will be giving-up certain benefits that suburban and urban residents have.

For the record I've traveled all over the US and I've never had a speed slower than 48k. That tells me there are very few places still stuck with an analog phone line.