Biden in W.Pa. to discuss broadband Internet access for rural areas as part of stimulus plan

September 30th, 2009 Ex-Enron broadband exec gets 16 months in prisonHOUSTON — The former chief executive of the failed Internet division of the former energy giant Enron Corp. has been sentenced to 16 months in prison.

September 23rd, 2009 Rural, urban areas of Ohio seek broadband cashCOLUMBUS, Ohio — State broadband planners say Ohio's unique mix of rural, Appalachian and poor urban communities gives it a strong chance of securing federal stimulus dollars to pay for better Internet access. In the first round of bidding for $7.2 billion in grants, loans and loan guarantees, both in-state and out-of-state groups asked for millions to help underserved populations in the state get connected.

September 12th, 2009 $100 million question: Where's broadband in US?WASHINGTON — The national stimulus package passed by Congress in February may have been too enthusiastic about spending money on one particular project: figuring out where broadband Internet access is available and how fast it is. The $787 billion stimulus bill championed by the Obama administration set aside up to $350 million to create a national broadband map that could guide policies aimed at expanding high-speed Internet access.

August 27th, 2009 Many interested in broadband stimulus fundsWASHINGTON — "Cash for clunkers" isn't the only economic stimulus program to attract a lot of takers. The U.S. government says it has received requests for a total of $28 billion from groups that want to expand high-speed Internet service in the country.

August 24th, 2009 In race with cable, AT&T pushes discounted bundleNEW YORK — AT&T Inc. has started offering its first bundle discount for customers who combine its U-Verse TV service with wireless and broadband.

August 20th, 2009 Mont.: Qwest asked to reconsider Internet grantHELENA, Mont. — Public Service Commission leaders are asking Qwest to take another look at a federal grant aimed at bringing broadband Internet to underserved areas like rural Montana.

August 7th, 2009 Telco companies to provide data for broadband mapWASHINGTON — The country's biggest phone and cable companies have agreed to hand over information about their broadband networks to help the federal government produce a national map showing where high-speed Internet connections are available across the U.S. AT&T Inc., Verizon Communications Inc.

July 27th, 2009 Verizon gives free Wi-Fi to Internet customersNEW YORK — Verizon is giving some of its home broadband customers free access to thousands of Wi-Fi hotspots in airports and other public places, taking a page from competitors that already offer wireless Internet access. The offer excludes Verizon Communications Inc.

July 5th, 2009 Biden predicts more jobs because of stimulus moneyWASHINGTON — The Obama administration "misread" the depth of the economic troubles it inherited and still expects more new jobs in the long term as the spending pace from the $787 billion stimulus plan quickens, Vice President Joe Biden said. Republican congressional leaders expressed disappointment about the impact of stimulus spending.

July 5th, 2009 Biden: 'We misread how bad the economy was'WASHINGTON — Vice President Joe Biden said the Obama administration "misread how bad the economy was" but stands by its stimulus package and believes the plan will create more jobs as the pace of its spending picks up. Biden, in an interview airing Sunday on ABC's "This Week," said the nation's 9.5 percent unemployment rate is "much too high." "The figures we worked off of in January were the consensus figures and most of the blue chip indexes out there," Biden said.

July 1st, 2009 Biden announces rural broadband funding in Pa.WATTSBURG, Pa. — Vice President Joe Biden outlined a $4.7 billion loan and grant program Wednesday to develop the infrastructure needed to deliver broadband, or high-speed, Internet access to areas that are underserved or without access.

July 1st, 2009 Obama team members to fan out on summer rural tourWASHINGTON — President Barack Obama is dispatching top administration officials and Cabinet members on a "rural tour" this summer to explore ways to strengthen rural America. The tour starts Wednesday in Wattsburg, Pa., where Vice President Joe Biden, Commerce Secretary Gary Locke and Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack will discuss rural broadband service.

June 17th, 2009 Survey: The old and poor sign up for broadbandNEW YORK — Some groups that have lagged in signing up for high-speed Internet service, like the elderly, the poor and rural residents, have started to gain on those who have had a head start, according to a new survey. Those conclusions come as the government is set to decide how to spend $7.2 billion in stimulus money on expanding the availability of broadband.

June 16th, 2009 UK plans universal access to high-speed InternetLONDON — About one-third of Britain's population does not have access to the Internet at home — a startling statistic that prompted a government promise Tuesday to overhaul the country's digital infrastructure. Prime Minister Gordon Brown outlined a 200 million pound ($328 million) program that would ensure that every British home can have broadband Internet access at 2 megabytes per second by 2012.

May 5th, 2009 Libraries eye stimulus money for their Web accessThe libraries in Delaware County, Pa., are trying to shift into warp speed. The county is hooking eight branches to a fiber-optic network to help meet library patrons' ever-rising demand for high-bandwidth tasks like streaming educational videos and uploading online resumes.