WASHINGTON, January 26, 2010 – The Agriculture Department’s Rural Utilities Service is doling out $310 million in broadband stimulus funds, department Secretary Tom Vilsack announced Monday.

The monies will be spread throughout 14 projects seeking to bring speedy Internet connections to rural communities in the United States in an effort to lift and grow their economies.

“The awards for these broadband projects will support anchor institutions – such as libraries, public buildings and community centers – that are necessary for the viability of rural communities,” Vilsack said.

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, November 13, 2009 – Access charges are well above the actual costs to connect telephone calls, despite the efforts made by the Federal Communications Commission, said Andy Regitsky of Regitsky and Associates, in a webinar presentation on “Access Charges and Network costs – A Guide to FCC Reform,” hosted by CCMI.

“The FCC is not ready to give control over access charges which have been flawed for the 25 years of their existence,” said Regitsky.

Public Knowledge’s sixth annual “IP3 Awards” – which celebrates information policy, intellectual property, and internet protocol – drew a crowd of Washington’s technorati to the Sewell-Belmont House in Washington on Thursday evening.

WASHINGTON, August 3, 2009 – Less than two weeks remain before the first round of applications are due in the federal government’s broadband stimulus grants. The key issues facing the government can be summed up in three words: data, data and data.

CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va., July 28, 2009 — Virginia Deputy Secretary of Technology Karen Jackson said here Monday that the second version of Virginia’s innovative, multi-platform broadband map would be publicly released on Friday.

CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va., July 27, 2009 — The Obama administration’s broadband stimulus program “has not been marketed well,” Sen. Mark Warner, D-Va., said at the kick-off to a Monday morning event at which top federal and state officials were speaking on it.

In cooperation with Massachusetts Broadband Institute, the RFP hopes to “solicit responses from firms or teams of firms with experience providing consulting services on the development and operation of broadband infrastructure, writing requests for proposals, outreach and evaluation of industry partners and creating business plans and pricing models.”

WASHINGTON, May 19, 2009 – With little questioning or controversy, the Senate Commerce Committee appeared poised ready after a Tuesday hearing to submit to the full Senate for confirmation the nominations of two key technology officials in the Obama administration.

WASHINGTON, May 18, 2009 – The federal government’s Commerce Department is at least one month off from finalizing the rules that will govern the broadband stimulus funds. But that isn’t stopping an array of states from getting started on a variety of broadband data projects.