Boucher: Private Companies Should Embrace Broadband Stimulus Funds

Rep Rick Boucher (D-VA), Chairman of a House Communications Subcommittee, on Tuesday warned against too narrowly defining eligibility limits for grants in dispensing $7.2 billion in broadband stimulus money authorized by Congress. He said the need to quickly stimulate the economy and have the greatest effect should trump longer-term goals like Network Neutrality - at least for the broadband stimulus. Chairman Boucher said he believed that the "openness and unfettered" access of the Internet had spurred its growth. But trying to use stimulus grants to impose limits on what private industry could do might have the unfortunate result of making some private companies not seek grants. "It's critically important that the private sector apply" for stimulus program grants, he said. "The private sector has the expertise to do this quickly."