Saturday, January 16, 2010

How To Spend Money--Stupidly--Doylet/Porkulus

Joint Finance decided to drop $1.7 million to "map" broadband access in Wisconsin.

Here's what's going to happen:

According to the grant request, the location of broadband access would be determined
primarily by requesting broadband providers to provide data on accessibility and checking that data through customer input. A geographic information system (GIS) would be created that allows searches via address and would be overlaid with data from broadband providers. LinkAMERICA would verify information provided; likely by surveying different geographic areas in rural settings and vendor cross verification (checking multiple providers of the same address to ensure that the same information about availability is provided) in urban settings. In some areas, capability may be verified based on known cable or fiber optic distribution and distances from provider distribution facilities (checking against a theoretical service area). Customers may also be surveyed to verify whether access is available.

Got it? Broadband vendors (AT&T, Charter, et al) tell the Gummint where they have broadband services.

THEN somebody "checks" to see that AT&T, Charter, et al., are not lying like rugs.

Then they draw pictures.

One point seven million dollars.

Ka-Ching!

As Rep. Montgomery also mentioned, that map will be inaccurate the day it's drawn, as broadband providers continue to increase the service areas.

2 comments:

Tim Morrissey said...

And the providers will pass along the "regulatory charges" to provide this information - to - guess who?

Seems to me one person with a telephone and a broadband connection could assemble this data in about half a day.

Dad29 said...

Let's make it TWO people--I'll do the legwork, you write the grant proposal; I'll settle for 40% of the $1.7 million.

Hell, I'll take 30%.