Broadband Stimulus Notes
The Senate Agriculture Committee is hoping for a vote “sooner [rather] than later” and expects one “fairly soon” on RUS administrator nominee Jonathan Adelstein, a committee spokesman said. The Committee has asked Adelstein some questions, which Adelstein must reply to in writing before the committee vote can proceed, although the questions and who asked them won’t be made public until they're answered, the spokesman said. -- TW
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RUS placed Miniflex’s FTTx solution on its acceptable materials list, making it available for use in broadband stimulus projects and other broadband projects, the company announced Wednesday. Products on the acceptable materials list can be bought with long-term, low-interest loans. Miniflex, a fiber manufacturer, said its FTTx product is already being used by independent companies in the Midwest.
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The FCC should look into “publishing the raw subscriber counts for all Census Tracts” to more accurately show which areas are unserved and underserved, Free Press told the FCC July 6 and 7, according to an ex parte filing. The FCC, which was given a consulting role in the distribution of federal broadband funds, can facilitate the Broadband Technology Opportunity Fund (BTOP) by providing the data, it said.
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Home penetration of fixed broadband is on track to hit 500 million subscribers worldwide next year, Futuresource Consulting said. More than 60 percent of homes get broadband through local telephone providers, with cable accounting for most of the rest, the group said. Japan and South Korea lead in broadband speeds, with average download speeds of 30 Mbps in each country. In Europe, Sweden comes out on top, averaging 14 Mbps last year. In the U.S., the national average in 2008 was just 2.7 Mbps, Futuresource said. “Download speeds are becoming the next broadband battleground for the ISPs in developed countries,” said Patrik Pfandler, Futuresource senior market analyst. Markets in many developed countries are becoming saturated, but alternative “hot spots” are starting to emerge, Pfandler said. “Our research shows Africa and the Middle East will experience spikes this year that equate to 33 percent growth. Longer term, India is the country to watch out for over the next four years. With one of the lowest household penetration rates for fixed broadband at the moment -- at just over 2 percent, or five million subscribers -- the market is projected to grow five-fold by 2013, to almost 25 million lines.”
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Rural Indiana broadband provider Omnicity will apply for broadband stimulus funding to deploy a wireless and fiber network across the state, the company said Tuesday. Additionally, Omnicity formed an alliance with companies outside of Indiana that will apply for broadband funds to help it expand operations beyond the state, Omnicity CEO Greg Jarman said. Omnicity said it will release the names of the other members of the alliance later this month.
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Wireless broadband equipment maker Redline Communications launched a Web site Wednesday with information about broadband stimulus funding and the application process. Redline joins several equipment makers, broadband providers, and law firms that have created stimulus-focused Web sites.