House Committee Passes Wireless Measure

The House in a stimulus move has passed a measure approving $1Bn for wireless broadband grants in rural undeserved areas. To certain extent that jives with our observations in the post below. The interesting piece is that the grants have open access provisions tied to them. That’s a component of a measure we can agree on. –

The House Energy and Commerce Committee approved legislation that makes at least $1 billion available in wireless broadband grants and keeps intact open-access provisions opposed by the mobile-phone industry.

Six billion dollars of the $825 billion economic recovery measure is earmarked to foster deployment of high-speed Internet service in unserved and underseved areas of the country. The broadband stimulus measure calls for the National Telecommunications and Information Administration, a Commerce Department unit that advises the president on tech policy and manages federal government spectrum, to oversee a $2.8 billion broadband grant program. Wireless broadband grants would comprise $1 billion of that funding level. The remainder of the $6 billion is expected to be administered by the Rural Utilities Service’s broadband loan program.

Concerns about spending aside, Congress really is pushing the wrong cart. They ought to be pushing the ‘D’ channel allocation to be completed. It should be receive a considerably higher priority that other aspects of broadband policy at the moment. It is a tool for the defense of the realm, the first order of business for government.

Whether its proper fiscal policy to do this can be left for a while. The devil is in the details as far as spending goes. If it ends up being a .20¢ deployed for every $1 spent then no it is not a good deal.

Linky.