DENVER, January 29, 2010 – Ditch the discouragement, review successful applications and reapply, reapply, reapply, was the message at the Denver workshop on Broadband Technology Opportunities Program grants.

“Don’t fret over round one, there’s more money in round two,” said Larry Strickling, head of the National Telecommunications and Information Administration at the Friday presentation. “I know folks are getting what you’re calling a rejection letter, but we’re looking at it as an ‘opportunity to reapply’ letter.”

WASHINGTON, December 29, 2009 – The American Library Association, along with other supporters of broadband build-out, has asked the government agency charged with distributing broadband stimulus funds to allocate more money for public computer centers.

WASHINGTON, December 29, 2009 – Rick Rotondo, co-founder and chief marketing officer of Spectrum Bridge, advises technology policy enthusiasts to keep an eye on wireless broadband legislation from Massachusetts Sen. John Kerry.

WASHINGTON, December 29, 2009 – Andrew Schwartzman, president and CEO of the Media Access Project, expects the Federal Communications Commission will issue rules to regulate internet access to support Net neutrality or open internet principles by the end of the third quarter of 2010.

WASHINGTON, December 29, 2009 – Dan Hays, director of the telecommunications practice at the management consulting firm PRTM, told Broadband Census News Monday that his company has some serious concerns about the overall direction of a government program to distribute funds to spur broadband penetration across the nation. Hays added that the division of grants and programs by state to gather information that will be used for a national broadband map “is driving unnecessary fragmentation.”

December 23, 2009 – Nearly half a year after designating four low-income Chicago neighborhoods as “digital excellence demonstration communities,” Chicago Mayor Richard Daley on Thursday announced the addition of a fifth community, as well as plans for use of federal broadband stimulus monies to bring the neighborhoods up to digital speeds.

WASHINGTON, December 22, 2009 – Connected Nation, which bills itself as a national non-profit organization that seeks to expand access to broadband internet, hit the jackpot Tuesday when the government announced it will be receiving more than nine million in funding for broadband mapping work.

“Congress rightly recognized that increasing broadband access and adoption in communities being left behind in the 21st Century economy depends on better data collection and broadband planning,” said Lawrence Strickling, Assistant Secretary of Commerce, and head of the National Telecommunications and Information Administration, in a statement.

WASHINGTON, December 21, 2009 – Last Thursday’s announcement of broadband stimulus – even if it was about two-and-a-half percent of the total broadband stimulus funding – was like manna to broadband industry.

Whether or not broadband activists and broadband builders believe that the federal government will end up playing a significant part of the telecommunications industry, the tension-in-waiting for action has been palpable and long-building.

WASHINGTON, December 17, 2009 – A number of Democratic lawmakers jumped on the broadband bandwagon Thursday to support the use of federal money to encourage adoption of the technology, while one Republican was quick to criticize the Obama Administration for excessive government spending.

WASHINGTON, December 17, 2009 – Vice President Joe Biden said Thursday that $2 billion will be made available on a rolling basis over the next 75 days to increase broadband penetration across the country. The money is part of the $7.2 billion Congress allocated in January for national broadband investments.