Broadband stimulus 'underserved' rule becomes more flexible

The federal government's definition of "underserved areas" for purposes of awarding broadband stimulus funds has caused consternation among some applicants - in particular municipal leaders who feel it excludes them from the program. further clarification of these rules may ease some applicants' minds as they prove more flexible than previously thought. The feds have defined "underserved areas" as areas in which: a) at least half of all households lack broadband or b) fewer than 40% of households subscribe to broadband or c) no service provider advertises broadband transmission speeds of at least 3 Mb/s. But that's actually the definition of "underserved." It's up to applicants to define the term "area." Say an applicant wants to bring broadband to three given census blocks - two qualify as underserved, but one doesn't. If, when grouped together into one proposed service "area," they do qualify as "underserved," then a census block that would have been disqualified by itself becomes fair game.