Politechan

Obama’s new CTO has been quoted as a fan of ‘green computing‘–more energy efficient desktops and servers and data centers.  Given the federal government’s haphazard computer purchasing system (a little here, a little there, and more than likely never the same thing twice) it will be interesting to see if he can bring some semblance [...]

As part of the economic stimulus, the Department of Agricultures Rural Utilities Service has been given about $2.5 billion to spend on upgrading broadband service to rural areas.  However, a recently released report found problems with the way previous money has been problems, including $45 million that went to an affluent Houston suburb built around a golf [...]

The Washington Post is asking some pretty tough questions today about the FCC’s role in the broadband stimulus program–mainly, will it even get done in time to be considered ‘economic stimulus’?  How, well it’s typical Washington.  
The broadband plan tells the National Telecommunications and Information Administration and the U.S. Department of Agriculture to distribute the money [...]

As part of the broadband ’stimulus’ package in the stimulus bill, there are provisions for $7.2 billion to go for “broadband” in “unserved” and “underserved” areas.  But just what is broadband is subject to debate and public comments are being accepted for a definition until April 13.
Opinions about what constitutes “broadband” vary wildly. Big incumbents [...]

News.com is writing about the public hearing at the Commerce Department about which way the broadband funding should be doled out–should it be for immediate benefit job creation, or longer term investments in our broadband infrastructure.  Of course, there was little agreement at this time, but when the final regs are issued and the money [...]

I guess it was shovel ready…
Critics of the economic stimulus plan are attacking Microsoft and the City of Redmond Washington for a new bridge that will link together Microsoft’s campus over a busy Interstate.  The bridge, which will cost about $40 million, is being jointly funded by Microsoft and the government, but when costs started [...]