Update on Federal Broadband Funding

From May 21, 2009 issue of Channel Weekly:

The Department of Public Instruction has provided a website (http://dpi.wi.gov/pld/arrabbfunding.html) with information on the $7.2 billion in federal broadband funding. The following are some recent updates.

1) The state Department of Administration (DOA) and the UW System will likely submit large grant proposals that have a statewide or regional impact. The DOA proposal is centered on bringing fiber cable to all school districts and public libraries that are on the BadgerNet network and currently do not have fiber. This will total about 420 sites. The UW System proposal centers on developing Community Area Networks (CANs), which can include schools and libraries. More information on these two proposals is at http://dpi.wi.gov/pld/pdf/arrabbproposals.pdf.

2) The DPI's Broadband Funding FAQ has been updated and is at http://dpi.wi.gov/pld/pdf/arrabbfaq.pdf.

3) State superintendent Burmaster has sent a letter to the Governor's Office for Recovery and Reinvestment supporting a State priority to use the federal broadband funds to bring fiber to our schools and libraries.

If you have any questions on the broadband funding, contact Bob Bocher at 608-266-2127 or robert.bocher@dpi.wi.gov. Updates will also be posted at (http://dpi.wi.gov/pld/arrabbfunding.html)