Some 2,200 groups have made requests for stimulus funds intended to expand the reach of broadband in the US, the government has reported. While only $4 billion in funds have been initially earmarked for these projects, together the requests total some $28 billion.
Obviously, the National Telecommunications and Information Administration and the Rural Utilities Service — the two agencies responsible with selecting winners — will not be able to honor every request. Over the next few months, officials will look over the applications and announce winners in November.
Those who lose out will have two additional opportunities to compete for additional funding after the initial awards. It is not clear how much the government intends to make available in those rounds, although another $3.2 billion will be available.
A quick survey of the requests show the bulk of them deal with Internet buildouts to underserved areas. Other requests aim to promote Internet use among groups who typically do not use the net, and offering Internet in public spaces and schools.
Don’t envy the job of those in charge of selecting who wins — USA Today reported that some of these applications total 500 pages or more.
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