Looking at BTOP/BIP Applications

Endeavour is analyzing broadband stimulus funding applications. New Mexico, South Dakota, North Dakota, Montana, Wyoming, and Alaska all have fewer than 20 people per square mile and actual broadband performance that is demonstrably lower than the US average. Of these laggards, only Alaska makes the cut in the top 10 for total funding requests, but four out of the six are represented in the top 10 on a per capita basis - and a fifth, Montana, is ranked 11th. This one piece of news is encouraging, at least: Some of the money is likely to head to the markets with the greatest need. Unfortunately, digging deeper provides reason for concern. Three of the top 10 states ranked on funding requests per capita are in the top 10 for actual broadband performance: Rhode Island, the District of Columbia, and Maryland. These are all densely populated areas with meaningful broadband competition. Looking at specific high value applications gets even more interesting. Among the top 10 applications, four are satellite, three are unlikely to qualify, and the remaining two have a disturbing, "bridge to nowhere" feel. These are all very large projects and most don't seem to fit the model the architects of the broadband stimulus program had in mind.