The tangled web of universal broadband

[Commentary] Universal broadband: Love the idea, but fear the devil is in the details: who is going to pay, what they're paying for, how the money is to be collected, and who's going to build out the infrastructure. House and Senate versions of the stimulus bill differ. The House bill proposes an investment of roughly $6 billion, while the Senate bill is for $8 billion; and the House bill earmarks roughly half of the funds to be administered by the Rural Utility Service. Both bills call for "net neutrality" requirements for infrastructure providers. Then there's the open question of what, if any, role the Universal Service Fund will play.