Verizon, AT&T May Tell U.S. on $7.2 Billion Broadband Stimulus: Keep It

[Purveyor]

March 31 (Bloomberg) -- Verizon Communications Inc. and AT&T Inc. may have this response to the U.S. government’s offer of $7.2 billion for high-speed Internet projects: Keep it.

Unlike the businesses that welcomed the $787 billion stimulus package approved by Congress last month, the two biggest U.S. phone companies have reservations. They’re urging the government not to help other companies compete with them through broadband grants or to set new conditions on how Internet access should be provided.

“I don’t think there’s much for them to gain financially from going after this money,” especially if the government attaches strings to it, said Rebecca Arbogast, an analyst at Stifel Nicolaus & Co. in Washington.

The companies have remained noncommittal as they lobby to shape rules for the grants.

“We do not have our hand out seeking government funds,” James Cicconi, AT&T’s senior executive vice president, told reporters March 11. While the company is “open to considering things that might help the economy and might help our customers at the same time,” he said AT&T’s primary focus for broadband is its own investment program.

The $7.2 billion is intended to bring fast Internet service to “unserved” areas that don’t have it and other regions the government deems “underserved,” according to the stimulus measure. The Commerce Department’s National Telecommunications and Information Administration will disburse $4.7 billion and the Agriculture Department $2.5 billion. Both agencies must decide what “underserved” means before awarding any grants.

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BLOOMBERG: http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=20601070&refer=home&sid=aXx.QVEa9vpM

[annabanana]

1. Was it Quest that refused to go along with the illegal wiretapping?

Maybe THEY'D like to provide broadband access in partnership with America?

[Gman]

2. Verizon is horrible about broadband in rural areas

when customers complain about the lack of broadband service Verizon blames AT&T by saying it's not cost efficient to pay to access AT&T's backbone for a few rural customers. So here's an opportunity for Verizon to build out their own backbone and they're turning down the money. In the meantime, Verizon continues to try to sell off it's rural holdings and concentrate sinking billions into fiber to the premise in urban areas.

[high density]

3. What strings are there? I see speculation but no facts

The money is to build infrastructure that these dickwad companies ordinarily wouldn't undertake to bring more of the country at least into the year 2002, if not the year 2009.

[Raineyb]

6. They're probabably afraid that they'll have to allow other service providers to use their

wires and they won't be able to gouge their customers with their monopoly status.

They're the reason why broadband isn't more available as it is. Fucking greedy fuckwits all of them!

As a former Verizon customer may I say, Verizon sucks ass!

That is all.

Regards

[Toucano]

4. Nationalize the bastids! n-t

[orwell]

5. What utter crap...

...AT&T has had a DSL node less than two miles from my house for almost two years. They refuse to put the cards in it so that we can get the service. I have been begging them for over a year but they are reluctant due to the customer density. This is after promising almost total rural coverage in California for over two years. The county spent millions on a fiber backbone. All AT&T has to do is get their act together and spend a little money on delivering what they promised.

What a crock of crap.