States Use ESRI's BroadbandStat Application for Broadband Initiatives

From GIS User

More than $20 Million in U.S. Stimulus Funds Are Awarded to 10 States and Puerto Rico for GIS-Based Broadband Mapping and Planning Initiatives

Redlands, California — Ten U.S. states and one U.S. territory will soon launch comprehensive broadband mapping and planning initiatives based on ESRI's geographic information system (GIS) technology. They will use BroadbandStat, an application developed by ESRI and Connected Nation, to organize and display broadband service and related data on the Internet.

Link to article here.

A chat with Connected Nation's CEO

By Kim Hart/The Hill's Hillicon Valley blog

A large chunk of the $7 billion in broadband stimulus funds is going toward creating maps of broadband coverage. Connected Nation, a non-profit organization, has been one of the biggest beneficiaries of the mapping grants so far.

Link to full post here.

Broadband Helps Create Jobs, Not Higher Wages

By Arik Hesseldahl/Business Week

Research shows that U.S. regions where broadband was introduced saw accelerated job growth, but the increased labor pool weighed on wages

Increased access to high-speed Internet connections helps create jobs, though it doesn't always result in higher wages, according to a new research report from the Public Policy Institute of California.

Link to article here.

Farm Bureaus Lead Rural Development Efforts

From the Farm Bureau News:

SEATTLE – There was a time when railroads were the perfect rural development tool. Then the interstate system brought prosperity – or in some cases decline – to certain towns.

Link to article here.

Iowa gets broadband boost with aid of grant

by Chris Conetzkey/Des Moines Business News

The state of Iowa will receive a matching federal grant worth $2.2 million to help fund a broadband Internet mapping and planning initiative that could help close the digital divide in Iowa by bringing the benefits of high-speed Internet access to the unserved and underserved areas of the state.

Link to article here.