[RTC List] First BTOP Grants to be Announced today

[Sean McLaughlin]

Broadband advocates -
(apologies for duplicates – some lists overlap)

Today the White House released a paper entitled RECOVERY ACT INVESTMENTS IN
BROADBAND: LEVERAGING FEDERAL DOLLARS TO CREATE JOBS AND CONNECT
AMERICA. The document was embargoed until 6 am this morning. In it
the Obama Administration outlines its’ broadband vision and announces
seven grants. Vice President Biden will announce the first of these
grants in an event in Georgia today.

If these seven grants tell us anything, it is that the Administration
believes it can best invest in broadband by supporting community anchor
institution networks, rural last mile projects and urban computer
centers.

Georgia & North Carolina: North Georgia Network Cooperative, $33.5
million to deploy middle-mile infrastructure to eight counties in
northern Georgia and North Carolina

Upstate New York—A public-private partnership between the
for-profit ION in Albany, New York, and the Development Authority of
North Country, a public benefit corporation, for a $39.7 middle-mile
infrastructure grant.

Maine: The Biddleford Internet Corporation, a public-private
partnership between the University of Maine and internet service
providers, will receive $25.4 million to construct middle-mile
infrastructure across rural Maine

Arizona: Public computer center in Arizona of 84 libraries to enhance
computing facilities that serve more than 75,000 users per week and
more than 450,000 residents in total

Ohio: The Consolidated Electric Cooperative in North Central Ohio
will receive a $2.4 million grant/loan to construct a 166-mile
middle-mile network that will also connect 16 electric substations to
support its smart grad technology initiative

Alaska: A last-mile grant to Rivada Sea Lion, an Alaska Native
Corporation, to provide fourth-generation wireless to 30,00 residents
in 53 subsistence-level communities in southwestern
Alaska – the first broadband services for these Native Alaskans

New Hampshire: A last-mile grant to the Bretton Woods Telephone
Company in New Hampshire for a fiber-to-the-home project, which will
pass 386 households, 19 business and six community anchor
institutions, and will allow two-way broadband of up to 20 Megabits
per second (Mpbs)

Sean McLaughlin
Executive Director
Access Humboldt
P.O. Box 157, Eureka, CA 95502
tel: 707-476-1798
dir: 707-476-2873
fax: 707-476-1702
cel: 707-616-2381
DC: 202-495-0616
e: sean at accesshumboldt.net
http://accesshumboldt.net
http://digitalredwoods.net

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