Senate, House differ on funnel for broadband cash

The stimulus package has been dominating the news lately, but little attention has been paid to a key difference concerning broadband provisions in the Senate and House versions of the bill, writes Bill Bishop in the Daily Yonder. While the Senate bill requires approximately $500 million more of the broadband allocation to go to rural communities, the House bill would put the money in the control of the U.S. Department of Agriculture and gives priority to rural communities without high-speed access.

By contrast, the Senate would send its broadband money to the U.S. Department of Commerce's National Telecommunications and Information Administration, with half of the $6.65 billion allocation earmarked for rural service. (This is the same NTIA that has done a questionable job managing the digital TV transition for consumers.) The Commerce Department would then have the option of transferring funds to the USDA. The bill also requires a "comprehensive nationwide inventory map of existing broadband service capability and availability in the United States."

"Some Senators prefer the House's decision to the allow USDA to administer the rural portion of the broadband kitty," writes Bishop. "Since the House and Senate bills still must be reconciled, there is no way to know how the differences between the two will settle out." (Read more)