This eSchool News article discusses the first round of the broadband services expansion initiative. Applicants requested nearly $28 Billion in funding, but only $4 billion is available (for grants and loans) during this first round. Maybe the obvious popularity of the broadband expansion concept as well as the shear weight of requested funding will push legislators towards increasing available funding in future rounds.
Edit:
Wisconsin Dept. of Administration filed an umbrella application on behalf of 385 public libraries (and many other institutions). Hopefully the scope of this application will lend it heavy merit and provide many of our “dark” libraries with high-speed broadband capabilities.
