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In what could arguably be called an infrastructure initiative, the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act includes some $7.2 billion aimed at improving the nation’s broadband access, particularly in rural areas.
The allotment falls into two groups — $2.5 billion will be dispersed by the U.S. Department of Agriculture, while $4.7 billion will be controlled by the U.S. Department of Commerce. Under both programs, the effort will be aimed at bringing broadband coverage and other Internet-based services to unserved and underserved regions of the country.
Unlike some other stimulus programs, the Broadband Technology Opportunities Program is still in the planning phases, and both the Department of Commerce and the Department of Agriculture are taking public comments before handing down application guidelines. Still, states in New England are preparing for possible projects and applications.
In Massachusetts, for example, the newly minted Massachusetts Broadband Institute, which was formed by the governor last summer to help advance broadband penetration in the rural areas, appointed former Massachusetts Department of Telecommunications and Cable commissioner Sharon Gillett to the post of director in anticipation of the new funding.
“Right now (the process) is wait and see, but I expect the Department of Commerce to be inundated with requests, and we are encouraging everyone to let us know if they plan to apply for a grant,” said Gillett.
Gillett is already looking at some 100 companies that have expressed interest in the funding and said the bulk of applications focus on broadband penetration in rural areas. But another area of funding — a $700 million chunk — deals with mapping broadband access in individual states, and that is something that the Massachusetts Broadband Institute expects to apply for on its own.
Other states are also preparing plans. In Connecticut, officials feel the state is “pretty well-served” in terms of broadband penetration, so officials are looking at other areas, such as enhancing municipal and public safety networks, according to Matt Fritz, a special assistant to Gov. M. Jodi Rell.
In Vermont, officials have been working for two years to bring broadband to some of the most rural areas of New England and are hoping for a significant infusion of capital from the stimulus package to help continue that process. According to Christopher Campbell, the director of network infrastructure for the office of economic stimulus and recovery, the state’s biggest challenge is sorting through the plans to settle on the best ones.
“But that’s a good problem to have,” he said. “We are just anxious to have these funds made available as soon as possible, since the construction season in New England is passing quickly.”
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