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Entries in The Stimulus Monitor (194)

Thursday
May102012
DateThursday, May 10, 2012 at 10:18AM

Is West Virginia Wasting Stimulus Funds on Over-Powered Routers?

Source: WV Gazette-Mail

According to an article on the West Virginia Gazatte-Mail, the state of West Virginia has spent $24 million in stimulus awards to put high-powered Internet routers in tiny schools and libraries. The routers are designed to serve major research universities, medical centers and large corporations.

The Cisco 3945 series routers, which cost $22,600 each, are built to serve "tens of thousands" of users or device connections, according to a Cisco sales agent. The routers are designed to serve a minimum of 500 users, the article reported.

The Gazette-Mail contacted Cisco about the routers and Cisco told the paper that the 3945 is a router solution for campus and large enterprises and is overkill for your network. The sales agents recommended a smaller router -- with a list price of $487.

Read the entire Gazette-Mail investigation here.

AuthorDeborah Rand | Comments Off | | | Print ArticlePrint Article
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Wednesday
May092012
DateWednesday, May 9, 2012 at 12:14PM

House Subcommittee Announces Broadband Loans and Grants Hearing

Hearing to be Held May 16, 2012

The House of Representatives Energy and Commerce Committee’s Subcommittee on Communications and Technology announced an upcoming hearing entitled “Broadband Loans and Grants.” The hearing will be held (and webcast) on Wednesday May 16, 2012 at 10:00 am. The Subcommittee has not yet released any information about witnesses or the questions it is seeking to answer, but Multichannel News had this to say:

“Republican House leaders have expressed concerns about how the BTOP loans and grants created by the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act are being spent, including to what degree they are being used to subsidize competition to existing service, and how the spending is being monitored by the government for waste, fraud and abuse. Those are the same issues that have concerned cable operators facing potential overbuilding with government dollars.”

The issue of using “government dollars” to subsidize broadband in areas that are already competitive came up in the recent Hill debates about the Farm Bill. The cable industry contributed to that debate as well, arguing that RUS loans were being used for subsidized competition. As far as BTOP is concerned, telecom operators have generally stayed clear from accusations of waste, fraud, and abuse. On the other hand, the state of West Virginia just came under fire for possibly wasting some of its $126m stimulus funding. The state allegedly spent over $22k apiece on routers intended for heavy-duty university and medical facilities, but were instead deployed in small libraries and health centers, according to FierceTelecom.

It will be interesting to see what the witnesses say at this hearing (and who the witnesses are, for that matter). JSICA will follow up with information about this hearing and report on the event.

AuthorCassandra Heyne | Comments Off | | | Print ArticlePrint Article
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Thursday
May032012
DateThursday, May 3, 2012 at 12:17PM

TDS Opens Bid Process for Broadband Stimulus Builds in New York

Source: TDS Press Release

TDS Telecommunications Corp.,  a wholly owned subsidiary of Telephone and Data Systems, Inc. (NYSE:TDS), hosted the pre-bid meeting to outline the project which will expand the company’s broadband network in New York. Contractors from six telecom construction companies received details to bid on the broadband Internet expansion project.  Bids are due to TDS by May 17, 2012.

Once complete, nearly 1,350 customers in New York will have access to a high-speed Internet connection. This includes

The project is one of 44 TDS has received funding for from the American Reinvestment and Recovery Act via the United States Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Rural Utilities Service (RUS).

AuthorDeborah Rand | Comments Off | | | Print ArticlePrint Article
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Tuesday
Apr172012
DateTuesday, April 17, 2012 at 10:11AM

NTS Begins FTTP Stimulus Build in Louisiana

Source: NTS Press Release

NTS, Inc., f/k/a Xfone, Inc. announced that it has begun construction of its high speed Fiber-To-The-Premise (FTTP) Network in southern Louisiana. As the build out progresses, the fiber network will eventually include the communities of Hammond, Ponchatoula, Natalbany, Tickfaw, Independence and Amite, Louisiana, adding approximately 11,500 FTTP passings. A WiMAX service extension overlay will also bring advanced broadband services to towns in the St. Helena, Washington and Tangipahoa Parishes.

The Company’s southern Louisiana build out is funded by approximately $36.1 million in federal stimulus grants and loans.

In addition to breaking ground in Louisiana, NTS also announced that it has connected its first customers in Wilson, Texas and in Meadow, Texas. NTS’s ongoing fiber build out, when completed, is expected to reach 19 new communities in Texas and Louisiana, bringing the Company’s total FTTP passings to approximately 50,000. In addition to its presence in Wilson, NTS has established its FTTP network in the towns of Lubbock, Levelland, Smyer, Wolfforth, Littlefield, Burkburnett, Brownfield, Whitharral and Slaton, Texas.

AuthorDeborah Rand | Comments Off | | | Print ArticlePrint Article
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Monday
Apr162012
DateMonday, April 16, 2012 at 9:45AM

American Samoa Telecommunications Pushes Forward on Stimulus Build

Source: Calix Press Release

Calix, Inc. (NYSE: CALX) announced that the American Samoa Telecommunications Authority (ASTCA) has selected the Calix Unified Access Portfolio and Calix Professional Services to support and implement its Broadband Linking the American Samoa Territory ("BLAST") Project, which will deliver ubiquitous advanced broadband services across the islands of American Samoa.

The USDA Rural Utilities Service (RUS) funded the Project through a $91 million Broadband Initiatives Program (BIP) award consisting of a combined grant and loan for plant engineering, materials, labor, and other costs, including access equipment. The BLAST Project will transform the islands' legacy copper network into an advanced fiber-to-the-premises (FTTP) infrastructure.

ASTCA has announced its intention to build this new network with the Ethernet eXtensible Architecture (EXA) Powered Calix access equipment, including C7 Multiservice Access Platform (MSAP) and E7 Ethernet Service Access Platforms (ESAPs), as well as the 700GE family of optical network terminals (ONTs). The Calix Professional Services team will serve as the program manager for the BLAST Project, working with key members of Calix Compatible Solutions Assurance Program to manage the various components of the network build, while providing network engineering, furnishing, and installation services.

Over 11,500 residences, businesses, and anchor institutions will be served by this network, which will deliver ultra-high-speed data, next-generation voice services, and new internet protocol television (IPTV) services across the islands.

AuthorDeborah Rand | Comments Off | | | Print ArticlePrint Article
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