Ten More States Receive Broadband Mapping Grants

The National Telecommunications & Information Administration has handed out broadband mapping grants of about $18 million to 10 more states, bringing its total to 51 grants and $97 million.

The states getting the latest grants are Connecticut, Hawaii, Kentucky, Maine, Mississippi, Nebraska, New Mexico, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, and Texas.

The broadband portion of the stimulus package sets aside as much as $350 million for an interactive online map to show where broadband is available in each state and U. S. territory. Data must be collected semi-annually between 2009 and 2011--the map has to be up and running by Feb. 17, 2011.

Grant winners have to pony up 20% of the cost themselves.

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.