Recovery Act Broadband Investments

On Wednesday, July 1, Vice President Biden will travel to Erie, Pennsylvania, to highlight Recovery Act broadband investments. The Vice President will be joined by Secretary of Commerce Gary Locke, Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack, Federal Communications Commission Chairman Julius Genachowski, Congresswoman Kathy Dahlkemper and other local officials.

Vice President Joe Biden announced the availability of $4 billion in American Recovery and Reinvestment Act loans and grants to help bring broadband service to un-served and underserved communities across America. This is the first round of Recovery Act funding aimed at expanding broadband access to help bridge the technological divide and create jobs building out Internet infrastructure.

The Department of Commerce's National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) announced details of a grant program to fund collection of state-level broadband data, as well as state-wide broadband mapping and planning, which will assist NTIA in creating a national broadband map.

The rules of the road for the $7.2 billion broadband stimulus package hit a lot of high notes, putting public policy in favor of an open and non-discriminatory Internet front and center for projects that would bring the Internet to unserved and underserved areas.

Federal Communications Commission Chairman Julius Genachowski indicated that the FCC host national discussions across the country as well as online on the National Broadband Plan. The FCC is currently receiving written public comment through July 21; FCC must present the plan to Congress by Feb.