Qwest said Wednesday it would not participate in the first round of the federal broadband stimulus program, which provides funding for projects that expand high-speed Internet access to unserved communities and improves services at schools, libraries and hospitals.
“We continue to support the use of program proceeds to facilitate the deployment of broadband services to unserved consumers,” said Steve Davis, senior vice president of public policy and government relations for Qwest.
“However, upon evaluation of the funding opportunity and the various requirements for participation, we were unable to make the business case for filing an application for more rural opportunities. We will continue to evaluate the program and determine whether to apply in future rounds.”
Total funding for the program is $7.2 billion, with $4 billion available during the first round. Applications for the initial round are due Friday.
