New York Senator Wants Rural Broadband Action

Proponents of Broadband over Power Lines got a boost last week as Sen Kristen Gillibrand (D-NY) introduced the Rural Broadband Initiative of 2009, to amend the Rural Electrification Act to include programs meant to bring broadband to areas where BPL might be most effective. The bill, if enacted, would create a Rural Broadband Advisory Panel under the auspices of an Office of Rural Broadband created by presidential directive. The panel would be headed by an undersecretary for rural broadband, to be appointed by the Senate.