2,200 Apply For $28 Billion In Broadband Stimulus Grants: NTIA
Total Is Seven Times Greater Than Amount Currently Available
John Eggerton -- Multichannel News, 8/27/2009 11:27:59 AM
Almost 2,200 bidders have applied for about almost $28 billion in broadband stimulus grant and loan money, or almost seven times the $4 billion currently available for broadband deployment and adoption.
That is according to a National Telecommunications & Information Administration summary of the bids, which were due to agency last week.
The bidders committed another $10.5 billion of their own money in matching funds, meaning over $38 billion in proposed projects.
More than 320 applications sought almost $2.5 billion for broadband awareness, training, access and support, while another 360 applications for a total of $1.9 billion for computer centers to expand access.
The rest sought funding for infrastructure projects for unserved and underserved areas, with requests to both NTIA and the Ag Department's Rural Utilities Service.
NTIA will announce the winners, starting in November. This is the first of three planned bidding rounds for the $7.2 billion in funds for broadband earmarked in the economic stimulus package.
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