New plan to get broadband money out

It's one thing to earmark $7.2 billion in broadband stimulus grants. It's another to get the money flowing.

After plenty of criticism from applicants and lawmakers that the program isn't getting the money out quickly enough, officials at the Departments of Commerce and Agriculture outlined plans to get the cash moving more quickly, bringing Internet accessibility to parts of America that have never had it. Their plan is to consolidate into a single round a grant process that was set up as three rounds before the money was freed up.

And it's probably about time. Broadband is being touted as one idea to stimulate the economy, bring communities into the Internet age and new businesses and jobs to a region. Federal agencies, including USDA and the Department Health and Human Affairs, will be able to target their programs more strategically with broadband in place.

"This will get the funds out the door faster to stimulate the economy and create jobs," said Jonathan Adelstein, the Department of Agriculture official overseeing the program, in a statement.

The largest U.S. Internet providers, including Verizon Communications Inc., AT&T Inc. and Comcast Corp., decided against applying for money because of conditions attached to it. Regardless, there remains plenty of demand for this money. More than 2,000 applications were received for the first round of broadband stimulus money, seeking $28 billion in funds, far greater than the $7.2 billion available.

For more on getting the broadband money flowing:
- see this Wall Street Journal article [1]