Telecoms Say Web Funding For Unserved Falls Short

The funding that Congress is likely to set aside for build-outs of high-speed Internet in its economic-stimulus package falls short of what service providers say is required to reach rural and unserved areas, based on initial cost estimates by several companies. A trade group representing midsize telecom providers with 27 million customers says its members alone would require $6 billion to $6.5 billion to reach about 3.6 million homes in their territories that don't have high-speed Internet access. That includes Qwest, which says its rural build-out would cost $3 billion, but doesn't include estimates from bigger providers such as AT&T and Verizon, or any cable companies.