Verizon Could Get $1.6 Billion in Senate Stimulus Plan

[Donnachaidh]

http://bits.blogs.nytimes.com/2009/01/30/senate-looks-to-stimulate-verizon/


Four words buried in a provision to help subsidize high-speed Internet service contained the latest Senate’s version of the economic stimulus legislation could mean hundreds of millions of dollars a year in tax credits for Verizon Communications, according to telecommunications analysts.

Indeed, John Hodulik, an analyst with UBS Securities, said the provision might give Verizon $1.6 billion in credits in the next two years, even if it does not hire one more person than it currently plans to do.

At issue is the part of the stimulus package meant to bring fast Internet connections to rural and low-income areas. The House bill that passed Wednesday provided $6 billion in grants to broadband projects. The latest Senate bill increases those grants to $9 billion.

Most significantly, the bill before the Senate also includes tax credits for investment in broadband services to low-income neighborhoods, rural areas and places that don’t have any providers of high-speed internet service.


More at the link above --

[Taverner]

1. Tie them to R&D for green wireless technology, and I think we might have something

[TheWraith]

4. Green wireless technology?

I'm not sure I follow you.

[Taverner]

6. Currently our Wireless Infrastructure is an energy hog

All those transponders all over the country take up a lot of power

[TheWraith]

7. Relative to other forms it's not bad.

TV and radio can take hundreds of thousands of watts continuously to broadcast, but a cell tower is measured only in the low thousands.

[Taverner]

8. Yes but there aren't radio towers every half mile or so

[TheWraith]

9. Cell towers are typically 10 to 15 miles apart except in big cities. nt

[Taverner]

10. Ok, then there aren't radio towers every 10 to 15 miles

They could make them all solar/wind powered and solve the energy problem

[leftstreet]

2. Excellent! Free Internet Access for All !!

oh, wait...

[biopowertoday]

3. the bill is not liked with net neutrality.

[TheWraith]

5. If they actually do what they're paid to do, great.

Verizon has a history though of taking tax credits in exchange for deploying, and then not deploying. The Obama administration will have to watch them like hawks.