Expand broadband's reach

Administration makes progress on expanding broadband access

Updated: Friday, September 3rd, 2010 | By Lukas Pleva

Expanding access to broadband was one of the key technology promises that President Obama made on the campaign trail. In January 2009, we rated the pledge In the Works, since the economic stimulus bill that Obama signed in February of that year contained roughly $6 billion for expanding high-speed Internet access.

We're well into the second year of Obama's presidency, so we wanted to see how he's been doing.

To start off, the final version of the stimulus bill that Obama signed directed $7.2 billion toward broadband expansion projects. Of that amount, the Commerce Department received $4.7 billion. The rest went to the Department of Agriculture.

As of July 2010, $2.7 billion in grants and loans has been spent on more than 260 projects, according to a White House statement. The most recent batch of grants went out in July of this year. The administration awarded $795 million to 66 new projects, with an additional $200 million coming in from private investment programs. "In total, tens of millions of Americans and over 685,000 businesses, 900 health care facilities and 2,400 schools in all fifty states stand to benefit from the awards," the White House said.

Additionally, in March 2010, the Federal Communications Commission released the first ever National Broadband Plan. The 360-page document makes numerous recommendations for expanding Internet access. It also includes six long-term goals. As an example, the plan calls on every American community to have at least 1 gigabit per second connection and for every first responder to have access to a nationwide, wireless, interoperable broadband public safety network.

On June 28, 2010, President Obama signed a memorandum directing the FCC to "make available a total of 500 MHz of Federal and non-federal spectrum over the next 10 years, suitable for both mobile and fixed wireless broadband use." Translation: the government is trying to increase the capacity for faster wireless transmissions.

Finally, on July 15, 2010, the Federal Communications Commission announced that it is initiating a new $400 million health care connectivity program to expand broadband access for medically underserved regions. The agency hopes that the new program will lower health care costs, improve medical care, spur private investment in networks, and help create jobs. "Nearly 30 percent of federally funded rural health care clinics can't afford secure and reliable broadband services," the FCC wrote in a press release.

President Obama promised to expand broadband's reach. So far, his administration has spent $2.7 billion dollars in loans and grants on expansion projects. The FCC has also issued a comprehensive broadband strategy plan, and there is movement to open up the airwaves for faster wireless connections. The government is also investing money to expand broadband access in rural hospitals. But the recommendations in the plan still have to be implemented, and less than half the money has been spent. So we're keeping this one In the Works.

Sources:

The White House, Background on the President's Recovery Act Announcement Tomorrow, Jul 2, 2010

Reuters, Obama announces broadband grants to spur jobs, by John Poirier, Jul 2, 2010

The Hill, President Obama announces $795 million in broadband grants, by Gautham Nagesh, Jul 2, 2010

Federal Computer Week, Obama makes $795M in broadband grants, by Alice Lipowicz, Jul 6, 2010

Federal Communications Commission, National Broadband Plan, accessed July 19, 2010 (pdf)

Federal Communications Commission, National Broadband Plan executive summary, accessed July 19, 2010

Cnet, Stimulus bill includes $7.2 billion for broadband, by Stephanie Condon, Feb. 17, 2009

Computerworld, FCC's national broadband plan released, by Grant Gross, March 16, 2010

The White House, Presidential Memorandum: Unleashing the Wireless Broadband Revolution, June 28, 2010

NewsFactor, FCC Seeks More Wireless Spectrum for Mobile Internet, Jul 16, 2010

Federal Communications Commission, Press Release: FCC PROGRAM TO EXPAND INVESTMENT IN BROADBAND HEALTH CARE TECHNOLOGY, July 15, 2010

Dems propose billions for broadband

Updated: Thursday, January 15th, 2009 | By Angie Drobnic Holan

Certainly no one is happy that the U.S. economy is in such dire straights that policymakers are talking about a stimulus plan that could cost more than $500 billion. But an unintended benefit for Barack Obama is that the bill gives him a chance to make good on a number of his more expensive campaign promises.

Obama discussed the broad outline of his hopes for the bill in a speech at George Mason University on Jan. 8, 2009.

"It is not just another public-works program," Obama said. "It's a plan that recognizes both the paradox and the promise of this moment — the fact that there are millions of Americans trying to find work even as all around the country there's so much work to be done. That's why we'll invest in priorities like energy and education; health care and a new infrastructure that are necessary to keep us strong and competitive in the 21st century."

Democrats in the U.S. House released a broad outline of what they hope to include in the 2009 stimulus bill and it contained many ideas Obama promised during the campaign, including $6 billion proposed for expanding high-speed Internet access. About $2.8 billion is specifically designated for rural areas.

Granted, this is still a proposal, but it's concrete enough that we're moving the Obameter from No Action to In the Works.

Sources:

New York Times, Barack Obama speech on the economy at George Mason University , Jan. 8, 2009

U.S. House of Representatives Appropriations Committee Web site, Summary: American Recovery and Reinvestment , Report Text , and Bill Text, (pdfs) published and accessed Jan. 15, 2009