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Money on the table

If you’re not writing grant proposals for stimulus dollars, you’re leaving money on the table; it’s as simple as that.

Communities across the U.S. stand to lose significant money when it comes to building a broadband infrastructure. There is no national game plan, which means regions must craft their own – and the regions that strike first are likely to win.

Here’s what’s at stake: $7 billion in stimulus funding earmarked for broadband expansion.

And that is not counting other initiatives that could affect broadband projects. Business interests such as Intel, Google and Qwest are planning accordingly. Public interests should do no less. Read more >

Stake your claim for the Gold Rush of ‘09

If there is a 21st Century Gold Rush, it’s now. And you really must rush if you want any chance at the nearly $800 billion in federally approved economic stimulus money.

Be sure of this: The most sophisticated communities and organizations have teams of grant writers at work. If you don’t, you need to get in the game quickly or lose your opportunity.

Here is a step-by-step process on what to do. Read more >

The future is now in South Korea

Welcome to Seoul, South Korea, where reality TV involves the viewer. Want to renew your driver’s license? If you live in Seoul, you do it in your living room, through your HD cable box/modem/video player powered by a 1 Gigabit fiber optic connection that has an average of 100 Mbps download rate.

This is how South Koreans do business with government, whether it’s to renew a license or get a building permit. The top 300 government services are available via a resident’s or business’ broadband connection through their cable box, their remote control, and a home printer. Read more >

Jobs: Shovel-ready

Proponents of broadband funding from the stimulus package often cite the promise of good-paying jobs that will rise out of “shovel-ready” projects, including the development of broadband infrastructure. One high-tech consultant projects about 10,000 jobs will grow out of broadband spending from the stimulus bill over the next five years.

A job often cited in the building of infrastructure is the $25-an-hour backhoe operator digging trenches to install fiber optic cable. However, not everyone is handy with a Komatsu or Caterpillar, and there are only so many of those shovel-ready jobs available. There are other jobs, such as those in the following categories, which will require skills and training: Read more >