Recovery Act: The Stimulus Index

The deadline for applying for the first $4 billion of broadband stimulus money has come and gone, and a number of companies and groups have announced bids.

Unstrung has compiled an initial list of companies and groups that have applied for funds. Where possible we've included how much they asked for, how the money would be used, and the funding program to which the companies have applied.

This is clearly not a comprehensive list. Some operators and groups haven't announced bids yet, while the first-round winners won't be unveiled until September at the earliest. We invite readers to send in any updates they think applicable, and we'll add them to the table. Please send email updates to editors@unstrung.com.

Table 1: Broadband Stimulus Applicants

Company/Group	Amount	Project	Areas	Program
360networks	TBA	Fiber optic network	Western US	TBA
Champion WiFi	$2.7M	City WiFi network	Monrovia, CA.	BTOP
Clearwire	TBA	Mobile WiMax	TBA	TBA
Cricket Communications	$8.6M	High-speed wireless Internet access	Multiple Cities	TBD
DigitalBridge	$100M	WiMax	TBA	TBA
ERF Wireless	$20M	Rural WiMax	LA, TX	TBA
IBEC	TBA	BPL	Ala.	TBD
Internet America Inc	TBA	Fixed Wireless	Rural Texas	BTOP/BIP
KeyOn Corp.	$150M	WiMax network	Nationwide	BIP
Level 3 Comms.	Less than $50M	Improving amplifier stations	Kan., Tenn.	TBD
National Medical Wireless Broadband Alliance	TBD	Wireless medical networks	70 U.S. hospitals	BTOP
OpenCape	$40M	Fiber optic network	Mass., NE	BTOP
SkyTerra Comms	$37M	Develop 700 Mhz public safety devices	N/A	BTOP
TDS Telecom	TBD	Wireline	13 U.S. states	BIP
TowerStream Corp.	$120M	WiMax	17 underserved metro areas	BTOP
WildBlue Comms	$30M	Satellite broadband	Ariz., Colo., Wyom.	BTOP
Xfone	TBD	Wireline	TBD	TBD
Yonder Media	$9.4M	Internet access in remote areas	Nev., Calif.	TBD
BIP Broadband Initiatives Program BTOP Broadband Technology Opportunities Program TBA To Be Announced TBD To Be Determined Sources: Unstrung, Cable Digital News, Business Week

In this first round of funding, there's about $2.4 billion available under the rural Broadband Initiatives Program (BIP) for deploying broadband in the boondocks. Meanwhile, up to $1.6 billion is available in the Broadband Technologies Initiative Program (BTOP), which is intended to promote new broadband technology in unserved and underserved communities.

Overall, $7.6 billion will be paid out under the broadband element of the Recovery Act. Of this, up to $4.7 billion is due to be paid out under BTOP funding by the end of September 2010. The next rounds are expected to get underway in the spring and fall of 2010. (See Recovery Act: Bids Come In.)

States and cities such as NYC and Philadelphia were also expected to make bids for funds. Unstrung will create a separate chart for those bids if and when more data is available.

— Dan Jones, Site Editor, Unstrung