Second Round of Broadband Stimulus Grants Announced

The U.S. Commerce Department’s National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) and the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Rural Utilities Service (RUS) have announced the second round of American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) grants and loans -- totaling $4.8 billion -- to expand broadband access in the United States. The investment, it is hoped, will help bridge the technological divide, boost economic growth, and create jobs.

NTIA will allocate approximately $2.35 billion in this round for infrastructure projects, and another $150 million for Public Computer Center projects, which will expand access to broadband service at public libraries, community colleges, and other public institutions. RUS will allocate $2.2 billion in this round for broadband infrastructure projects.

This is the second funding round for the broadband programs. The awardees for the first round of broadband stimulus grants were announced in December. Among the winners were three libraries.

The two agencies also announced a series of public workshops to review the application process and answer questions from prospective applicants. One of the workshops will be held in Detroit. Interested parties can register for the workshops at www.broadbandusa.gov.

Grant applications will be accepted from February 16, to March 15, and all awards will be announced by September 30.

First Round of Broadband Stimulus Grants Announced

The Federal government has announced the first recipients of some of the $7.2 billion in American Recovery and Reinvestment Act broadband stimulus grants. The money is to increase broadband access across the United States, especially in underserved areas.

Depending on which survey you read, the U.S. is somewhere between 15th and 20th on the list of broadband penetration, behind such countries as South Korea, Singapore, Estonia, and Canada.

Three libraries are among the earliest grantees.

The Arizona State Library, Archives and Public Records received a $1.3 million grant to enhance existing facilities in more than 80 public libraries throughout the state. More than 1,000 computers will be added.

The Boston Public Library will receive $455,000 (of $1.9 million granted to the City of Boston) to expand public computing capacity at its 25 locations. The Library expects to install 282 new computers in dedicated training rooms and mobile tech classrooms, and to offer technology training in English and Spanish.

The New Mexico State Library will receive a $1.5 million grant to increase broadband adoption and promote computer literacy and Internet use among vulnerable populations, including Latino and Native American users, small businesses, and entrepreneurs through training and outreach.

In addition, ION Hold Co., LLC, received a $39.7 million grant to build 10 new segments of fiber-optic, middle mile broadband infrastructure, serving more than 70 rural communities in New York, Pennsylvania, and Vermont. The 1,308-mile network will offer broadband speeds of one to 10 gigabytes per second, and connect more than 100 institutions, including libraries, state and community colleges, state and county agencies, and health clinics.

More broadband grants will be announced in the coming weeks, with more libraries likely to be named.

[via LibraryJounal.com]

First Ever Federal Chief Technology Officer Named

President Barack Obama has named Aneesh Paul Chopra as his choice for Chief Technology Officer. Chopra currently serves as Virginia’s Secretary of Technology, and has previous acted as the Managing Director for the Advisory Board Company, where he advised executives on health care operations.

The CTO will be an assistant to the President, and the Associate Director of the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy. He will work to develop and implement the President’s technology agenda.

During his time as Virginia’s Secretary of Technology, Chopra championed several technology initiatives, including partnering with Cox and Comcast to broadcast free GED classes to Virginian residents; integrating iTunes U with Virginia's state education assessment framework; and creating a Ning-based social network to connect clinicians working in small health care offices in remote locations.

Chopra was recently recognized by Government Technology Magazine for excellent use of technology to improve government, and he was awarded Healthcare Information and Management Systems Society’s 2007 State Leadership Advocacy Award.

For more information on Chopra, see Tim O’Reilly’s post Why Aneesh Chopra is a Great Choice for Federal CTO.

[via TechCruch]

No Federal Chief Technology Officer, Yet

During his election campaign, President Barack Obama used technology in unprecedented ways. In addition, he promised that, as president, he would name a Chief Technology Officer, to move the federal government into 21st century.

However today, nearly 100 days into his term, the President has yet to name a such an Officer, reports TechCrunch:

[I]t’s confusing as to why the President is taking his sweet time to appoint a CTO, when there are clear issues that a CTO could be working on. For starters, there are tech-centric issues like the FCC’s National Broadband Plan to give all American’s high speed Internet access, and the DTV Delay Act, which was signed into law in early February. There’s the Open Government initiative, through Change.gov, which seems to be in a stalemate. And certainly a CTO could lend his or her expertise and leadership in incorporating technology into the President’s health-care, education and energy initiatives. Take a look at the technology issues page of the White House’s website for a more extensive to-do list awaiting our future CTO.

As the FCC has just called for a discussion on a national broadband plan. It would have been good to have a CTO on board to guide this discussion. I hope the Administration fills this position in a timely manner.

Comment on a National Broadband Plan

As I wrote a few days ago, the U.S. Federal Communications Commission is seeking public input on how to make broadband accessible and affordable across the United States. The plan will be delivered to Congress next February. The recently-passed Reinvestment Act stimulus contains $7.2 billion for broadband projects.

In you would like to express your ideas on a nationwide broadband plan, go to page 41 of this FCC Notice of Inquiry (.pdf). The deadline for comments is June 8.

FCC Begins Development of National Broadband Plan

The U.S. Federal Communications Commission has begun developing a national broadband plan, with the goal of improving access to high-speed Internet in the United States. The plan, required under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009, will be delivered to Congress by February 17, 2010. The Reinvestment Act contains $7.2 billion for broadband projects.

Part of this plan will include a public comment process, which will request input on how to ensure all Americans have access to affordable broadband, and suggestions for broadband applications for health care, public safety, energy independence, and other areas. The public comment process is scheduled to begin shortly.

[via MuniWireless]

Wireless Users Are More Engaged in Web 2.0

Those of us who use mobile technology – cell phones, laptops, PDAs – are more electronically active in digital life and more involved with Web 2.0 tools than those who use wires to plug into the Internet.

According to the latest Pew Internet and American Life Project report, The Mobile Difference, 39% of Americans have positive and improving attitudes toward mobile communication devices, which in turn draws them further into engagement with digital resources.

The report, based on data collected in December 2007, found that:

• 8% of adults use mobile devices and broadband platforms for continual information exchange to collaborate with their social networks;
• 7% of adults actively use mobile devices and social networking tool, yet are ambivalent about all the connectivity;
• 8% of Americans find mobility lighting their information pathways, but have comparatively few tech assets at home; and
• 16% of adults are active conduits of content and information.

The remaining 61% are anchored to stationary media; though many have broadband and cell phones, coping with access is often too much for them.

How to Qualify for a Broadband Stimulus Grant

Interested in receiving a piece of the $7.2 billion economic stimulus package earmarked for broadband development?

You might want to check out the Freedom to Connect (F2C) conference in Washington DC, March 30 and 31. The conference will feature a workshop titled How to Get and Spend $7,200,000,000.00: What the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act or 2009 Means for Netheads.

This session will cover how to qualify for the Act’s $2.5 billion from the Agriculture Department and $4.7 billion from Commerce. Local governments qualify, as do non-profits, coops, and other entities. Disbursement of funds begins in May. Most monies must be disbursed within 18 months.

F2C is a meeting of people engaged with Internet connectivity and all that it enables, including vendors, customers, regulators, legislators, analysts, financiers, citizens and co-creators.

[via Muniwireless]

Final Stimulus Plan Includes $7.2 Million for Broadband

According to the American Library Association Washington Office, the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, recently signed by President Obama, includes $7.2 billion for broadband Internet access: $2.5 billion for Rural Utilities Service and $4.7 billion for the National Telecommunications and Information Administration's (NTIA) broadband grant program to increase broadband access and usage in underserved areas of the nation. The latter includes $200 million in competitive grants for expanding public computer capacity at public libraries and community college libraries.

For more on broadband as an economic stimulus, see here and here.

Broadband Expansion Removed from Economic Stimulus Bill

According to CNN, $2 billion allocated for broadband development has been removed from the Senate’s version of the economic stimulus bill.

[via Slashdot.org]

Minneapolis to Become Largest Wireless Area in the U.S. -- Soon

According to James Anderson, writing in the Minnesota Daily – the student-produced newspaper on the Twin Cities campus of the University of Minnesota – Minneapolis is about to become the largest municipal wireless area in the country.

The plan, which is about a year behind schedule, is targeted for completion by spring 2009. It was delayed when several densely populated areas needed additional poles installed to hold the transmitters for the signal.

This is not a city-owned nor -operated system. USI Wireless, a private company, is behind the project. Minneapolis, however, is one of USI’s biggest customers; the City will run its police and fire public safety network over the new wireless system. City representatives hope that this network will provide them with greater bandwidth and quicker connection speeds.

USI currently has 11,000 paid subscribers to the network that offers one, three and six megabyte packages. According to the article, a one-year subscription to the largest package will cost less than 50% of the service now provided by Comcast.

Is Internet Access an Economic Stimulant?

Last week, we blogged about a Pew Internet and American Life report that concluded that 10% of Americans would connect to broadband Internet access if it was extended to their areas at an affordable price. At that time, there was talk that the new U.S. Administration would include money for extending broadband it its economic stimulus package.

What a difference a few days makes. Now, according to Yahoo's tech/ticker, increased high-speed Internet access might be off the table.