Questions Abound as Broadband Initiative Gears Up

Washington, March 19 — During the debate leading up to passage of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (ARRA; Pub. L. 111-5), the proposed funding for improving Internet access in rural America became one of the most widely talked about features of the stimulus package. President Obama made enhanced broadband access a priority of his economic agenda, and Congress made good on that initiative by authorizing $4.7 billion for a new grant program, called the Broadband Technology Opportunities Program (BTOP).

And now that Congress has created BTOP, the National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) must scramble to create all the regulations governing how the new program will work. To accomplish that daunting task, the agency has partnered with the Rural Utilities Service (RUS) to obtain input from the broadband industry, as well as local governments, telecommunications experts and other stakeholders. In a series of ongoing public meetings, the two agencies are hosting discussion panels designed to hammer out all the details so money can start flowing.