Connected Nation Making No Apologies

A Q&A with Connected Nation CEO Brian Mefford. A large chunk of the $7 billion in broadband stimulus funds is going toward creating maps of broadband coverage. Connected Nation has been one of the biggest beneficiaries of the mapping grants so far.

Connected Nation has partnered with 12 states and Puerto Rico. The grants to these states for broadband mapping total $25 million. In some cases, Connected Nation is receives the funding directly; in others, it is the subcontractor to the state. The organization has been criticized for taking funding from big telecom companies, potentially creating a conflict of interest when it then creates maps depicting those companies' broadband coverage. It will be in town this week at the Congressional Internet Caucus Advisory Committee's "State of the Net" conference to show off its new interactive mapping tool.