Obama Wants Broadband 'New Deal'Telecom to be part of huge new public works package
(
old news - 10:57AM Sunday Dec 07 2008)
tags: coverage · business · bandwidth · Politics · consumersTipped by KrK 
As long as we're handing out billions to companies for back rubs and bonuses, there's a growing contingent in Congress who thinks we should spend a few million on infrastructure to help stimulate the economy, and some of that funding could be going to broadband. As we've discussed, whether this will actually help the economy
depends on which partisan think tanker you ask -- but President-elect Obama seems to like the idea, and over the weekend, in a
video address, highlighted a need for broadband action:
"It is unacceptable that the United States ranks 15th in the world in broadband adoption," Mr. Obama said. "Here, in the country that invented the Internet, every child should have the chance to get online."
The overall package could be between $400 and $700 billion, though what part of that will be directed at broadband hasn't been specified. Also unspecified is exactly what kind of plan they'll implement. Huge payoffs and tax cuts to the nation's largest carriers, with poor oversight like the nation's USF and
e-Rate program?
Obama's address states the package "won't just throw money at the problem," but with no actual plan on the table yet, obviously it's hard to tell. Is DC actually capable these days of a spending plan that doesn't involve simply throwing money at the companies with the best lobbyists and hoping for the best?
