broadband stimulus

Broadband Company's Demise Puts Taxpayers on Hook for $74 Million Loan

Lindsy Embree — Thu, 27 Oct 2011 10:02:22 -0400

Full article: Washington Post
Cecilia Kang
As the government prepares to commit billions of dollars to bring high-speed Internet to rural areas, the biggest-ever such project has collapsed. The company Open Range, backed by a commitment of $267 million in loans from the Agriculture Department, filed for bankruptcy this month. Taxpayers are on the hook for $74 million that the upstart hasn't repaid. And now the company, some analysts and a senior government official are blaming poor judgment and Washington bureaucracy as the reasons Open Range failed.

House Passes Bill to Target Broadband Stimulus Waste

Lindsy Embree — Thu, 06 Oct 2011 09:22:20 -0400

Full article: National Journal
Josh Smith
The House unanimously approved a bill that mandates the return of federal stimulus money designated for broadband development if officials find fraud, waste, or abuse.

West Virginia Might Leave $40M in Broadband Stimulus Funds on the Table

Lindsy Embree — Mon, 18 Jul 2011 11:19:11 -0400

Full article: FierceTelecom
Sean Buckley
West Virginia, like many states that applied for broadband stimulus funding, had high hopes for the $126 million grant it won last year, but now it appears that the state might not be able to spend $30 to $40 million of the grant.

Broadband Stimulus Status Report: Following Up with Four Winners

Stevie Converse — Fri, 24 Jun 2011 10:51:13 -0400

Full article: Connected Planet
Joan Engebretson
Despite a fiber shortage, some projects funded by the broadband stimulus package are all or partially completed. A few are even serving end users. A key goal of the stimulus program was to create jobs -- and the broadband program certainly is doing that.

Md. Leaders Celebrate Federal Dollars for Broadband

Lindsy Embree — Tue, 14 Jun 2011 10:37:20 -0400

Full article: Washington Post
John Wagner
Many of the leading members of Maryland's political class -- including Gov. Martin O'Malley (D) and Sen. Barbara A. Mikulski (D-Md.) -- converged to celebrate some federal stimulus funding that is continuing to flow to the state. A $115 million federal grant is being used to expand broadband access throughout Maryland.

AT&T Politicians Take Aim at Wisconsin Broadband Funds

Stevie Converse — Wed, 08 Jun 2011 13:43:29 -0400

Full article: Broadband Reports
Karl Bode
Proposed legislation in Wisconsin to give back federal broadband infrastructure funding would wrench away $37 million in support for broadband buildout across the state. State politicians call it fiscal responsibility. But it's actually simple protectionism at AT&T's behest to continue its domination with an overpriced and underpowered service called Badgernet.

Windstream Starts Small with Broadband Stimulus Project Ground Breaking

Lindsy Embree — Fri, 03 Jun 2011 11:04:10 -0400

Full article: Telecompetitor
Joan Engebretson
Windstream was the largest single recipient of broadband stimulus grants from the Rural Utilities Service, winning a total of $181.3 million for projects in 13 states. But now that the company has begun to break ground on these projects, it's starting small.

NCTA Says RUS Should Stop Broadband Loans Until Rules Are Fixed

Lindsy Embree — Mon, 16 May 2011 09:25:17 -0400

Full article: Multichannel News
John Eggerton
Cable operators have advised the Department of Agriculture's Rural Utilities Service that it needs to fix its rules for handing out broadband development loans under the Broadband Loan Program and should stop handing out the money until that happens.

Dems Slam Broadband Stimulus Oversight Measure As 'Waste of Time'

Lindsy Embree — Mon, 04 Apr 2011 12:03:59 -0400

Full article: BroadbandBreakfast.com
Jonathan Charnitski
The House Subcommittee on Communications and Technology held a hearing and passed draft legislation that would require unused and returned broadband stimulus funds be returned to the U.S. Treasury, but subcommittee Democrats called the bill "duplicative" of policies already in place.

Lawmakers Tell Agencies to Return Unused Broadband Funds

Lindsy Embree — Mon, 04 Apr 2011 10:33:10 -0400

Full article: IDG News
Grant Gross
A Congressional subcommittee has approved a bill requiring two government agencies to return any unused money from broadband deployment programs that were part of a huge 2009 economic stimulus package.