First US Broadband Project Payments Go Out: Can We Get Everyone Online?

The conversations surrounding broadband in the USA are as varied as ever. Some say the US is number one. Some say the US is lacking severely. The FCC--which is one of the only entities that actually has a say that matters--thinks that money should be used to improve access to broadband for more Americans. Apparently, so does Mr. Joe Biden.

The US Vice President took the opportunity, as the week before Christmas wound down, to serve up the first payments towards bettering America's broadband infrastructure. These funds had already been set aside, and now we're seeing them head into action. A grand total of $7 billion will be spent on getting access to more individuals and upgrading our current networks, and as of now $183 million has been doled out to 18 broadband projects in 17 states. Unless plans change, a total of $2 billion in grants/loans will be sent out for broadband projects over the next 2-3 months.

Obama's grand goal is to get broadband Internet access to every home in America, but that will clearly be harder to accomplish than it is to say. America is a vast nation, and some of the smaller towns and villages are far, far away from the metro areas that are already well served. The President and his cabinet are looking at broadband expansion as a surefire boost in business, as more and more individuals are able to find companies, prices, etc. online. It definitely opens up another avenue for revenue and marketing, and we're definitely not knocking the idea of getting high-speed Internet to everyone in the country (should they want to pony up for it).


According to a report earlier in the year by Strategy Analytics, the US was 20th in broadband penetration in a survey of 58 nations, but as we stated before, another survey put America at the top. It's hard to know what numbers are completely correct, but it's exciting to see progress being made on this front regardless. Too many people are forced to suffer with limited/slow options for getting wired, and even for those well-served, what's the harm is having a bit more competition?  Nothing...