[RTC List] Broadband Stimulus

[Don Grossman]

Since everyone has lost interest or fell asleep trying to read the  
entire document I figured I would post up the Broadband section from  
the Stimulus Bill

When is $7.2B not $7.2B?

When it is $4.7B and $2.5B.

What they have done is reduced the about for Broadband stimulus from  
$7B to $4.7B and moved  the funds to the Distance learning,  
Telemedicine, and Broadband section which was originally only $100M


Get your PDF copy here if you are having trouble with Windows only  
support on the whitehouse.gov site.

http://www.willitsonline.com/~don/ESA2009/




BROADBANDTECHNOLOGYOPPORTUNITIESPROGRAM
For an amount for ‘‘Broadband Technology Opportunities Pro-
gram’’, $4,700,000,000: Provided, That of the funds provided under
this heading, not less than $4,350,000,000 shall be expended pursu-
ant to division B of this Act, of which: not less than $200,000,000
shall be available for competitive grants for expanding public com-
puter center capacity, including at community colleges and public
libraries; not less than $250,000,000 shall be available for competi-
tive grants for innovative programs to encourage sustainable adop-
tion of broadband service; and $10,000,000 shall be transferred
to ‘‘Department of Commerce, Office of Inspector General’’ for the
purposes of audits and oversight of funds provided under this
heading and such funds shall remain available until expended:
Provided further, That of the funds provided under this heading,
up to $350,000,000 may be expended pursuant to Public Law 110–
385 (47 U.S.C. 1301 note) and for the purposes of developing and
maintaining a broadband inventory map pursuant to division B
of this Act: Provided further, That of the funds provided under
this heading, amounts deemed necessary and appropriate by the
Secretary of Commerce, in consultation with the Federal Commu-
nications Commission (FCC), may be transferred to the FCC for
the purposes of developing a national broadband plan or for carrying
out any other FCC responsibilities pursuant to division B of this
Act, and only if the Committees on Appropriations of the House
and the Senate are notified not less than 15 days in advance
of the transfer of such funds: Provided further, That not more
than 3 percent of funds provided under this heading may be used
for administrative costs, and this limitation shall apply to funds
which may be transferred to the FCC.



DISTANCELEARNING, TELEMEDICINE, ANDBROADBANDPROGRAM
For an additional amount for the cost of broadband loans and
loan guarantees, as authorized by the Rural Electrification Act
of 1936 (7 U.S.C. 901 et seq.) and for grants (including for technical
assistance), $2,500,000,000: Provided, That the cost of direct and
guaranteed loans shall be as defined in section 502 of the Congres-
sional Budget Act of 1974: Provided further, That, notwithstanding
title VI of the Rural Electrification Act of 1936, this amount is
available for grants, loans and loan guarantees for broadband infra-
structure in any area of the United States: Provided further, That
at least 75 percent of the area to be served by a project receiving
funds from such grants, loans or loan guarantees shall be in a
rural area without sufficient access to high speed broadband service
to facilitate rural economic development, as determined by the
Secretary of Agriculture: Provided further, That priority for
awarding such funds shall be given to project applications for
broadband systems that will deliver end users a choice of more
than one service provider: Provided further, That priority for
awarding funds made available under this paragraph shall be given
to projects that provide service to the highest proportion of rural
residents that do not have access to broadband service: Provided
further, That priority shall be given for project applications from
borrowers or former borrowers under title II of the Rural Electrifica-
tion Act of 1936 and for project applications that include such
borrowers or former borrowers: Provided further, That priority for
awarding such funds shall be given to project applications that
demonstrate that, if the application is approved, all project elements
will be fully funded: Provided further, That priority for awarding

such funds shall be given to project applications for activities that
can be completed if the requested funds are provided: Provided
further, That priority for awarding such funds shall be given to
activities that can commence promptly following approval: Provided
further, That no area of a project funded with amounts made
available under this paragraph may receive funding to provide
broadband service under the Broadband Technology Opportunities
Program: Provided further, That the Secretary shall submit a report
on planned spending and actual obligations describing the use
of these funds not later than 90 days after the date of enactment
of this Act, and quarterly thereafter until all funds are obligated,
to the Committees on Appropriations of the House of Representa-
tives and the Senate.