Highs and lows on the broadband stimulus front

[Commentary] IT managers have a saying: No one ever got fired for buying IBM. And there did seem to be a bit of that sort of thinking behind the first Round 2 awards announcement. Recipients on the list appeared to be chosen, at least in part, based on the likelihood that they would be able to avoid controversy. Companies that had previously borrowed money through the Rural Utilities Service (and presumably had demonstrated they could meet a business plan) were well represented. Rural Telephone, which has been borrowing through the program since the 1950s, is a perfect example. Outside the telco realm, it may have been more difficult for the RUS and National Telecommunications and Information Agency to confirm an applicant's track record. But not surprisingly one of the few municipal network operators on the awards list was Bristol Virginia Utilities Board, which already has demonstrated its abilities in a fairly high-profile manner.