The Rise of the Middle Mile in Obama's Theory of Broadband Stimulus

Last Thursday's announcement of broadband stimulus - even if it was about two-and-a-half percent of the total broadband stimulus funding - was like manna to broadband industry. Whether or not broadband activists and broadband builders believe that the federal government will end up playing a significant part of the telecommunications industry, the tension-in-waiting for action has been palpable and long-building. By the time of Thursday's announcement, it had already been 10 months, to the day, since President Obama signed the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act. In light of these awards, what probably got less attention was a key policy document released on Thursday by the White House's National Economic Council. Titled "Recovery Act Investments in Broadband: Leveraging Federal Dollars to Create Jobs and Connect America," this document represents a manifesto for the value of federal engagement in broadband's "middle mile."