NTIA Awards More Broadband Mapping Grants

The
National Telecommunications & Information Administration has awarded more
broadband mapping grants, bringing the total to 41 grants totaling about $78
million.

The
newest states (and one territory) to get money are Montana, New Hampshire,
Utah, and the U.S. Virgin Islands under the state mapping program, which is
funded by $350 million in broadband stimulus funds, though a source says NTIA
expects to need only about a third of that amount to build its interactive map
showing nationwide availability, including speed and location.

NTIA
has to finish the project by February 2011.

Among
those receiving grants was Connected Nation, which got $2.2 million for Iowa
mapping and data collection; the University of New Hampshire, and the Montana
Department of Commerce.

John Eggerton

Contributing editor John Eggerton has been an editor and/or writer on media regulation, legislation and policy for over four decades, including covering the FCC, FTC, Congress, the major media trade associations, and the federal courts. In addition to Multichannel News and Broadcasting + Cable, his work has appeared in Radio World, TV Technology, TV Fax, This Week in Consumer Electronics, Variety and the Encyclopedia Britannica.