Broadband Talk From Wisconsin To Florida

BROADBAND TALK FROM WISCONSIN TO FLORIDA
[SOURCE: Technology Daily, AUTHOR: Michael Martinez]
A look at state plans to speed broadband deployment in Wisconsin, Massachusetts and Florida. 1) Gov. Jim Doyle (D-WI) unveiled a plan to offer millions of dollars in tax incentives to companies that can enhance his state's high-speed Internet infrastructure. The $7.5 million in tax credits would be made available to companies that provide broadband and cellular telephone service. He said the tax breaks will help attract more than $80 million in broadband-related investments. The credits and exemptions are designed to encourage businesses to expand their services to parts of the state where broadband and cellular access is limited. 2) Massachusetts Telecommunications and Cable Department Sharon Gillett said that improving broadband access in the Bay State is one of her top priorities. She said the $25 million incentive plan recently released by Gov Deval Patrick (D) will play an integral role in making that happen. Under Patrick's plan, public bonds will be used to purchase broadband infrastructure, such as wireless towers. The Patrick administration said it will select private partners to implement parts of the project, and the initiative also will make it more cost-effective for companies to enter underserved markets. 3) A spokeswoman for Miami-Dade County Mayor Carlos Alvarez told the Miami Herald that he is considering scaling back the city's wireless broadband project to only cover the most densely populated areas. The Herald reported that county officials hit a roadblock in deploying the network when they recently discovered that sign posts were too short to be equipped with transmitters.
http://www.njtelecomupdate.com/2007/08/broadband_talk_from_wis_to_fla.html