Broadband stimulus moves at dial-up speeds

Mark Morgenthaler wants nothing more than to hire 15 people to help expand his wireless Internet service, Surfnet Communications in the Santa Cruz Mountains. He can’t wait to start accepting applications, interviewing candidates, and making job offers.

Unfortunately, waiting is about all Morgenthaler has done since he applied for a slice of the more than $7 billion in so-called "broadband stimulus" funding. That money was part of the $787 billion federal package adopted in February to give a jolt to the economy.

That’s an awesome amount of money. But the big number has created unrealistic expectations about the size and the speed of its impact. Already there’s a debate raging about whether the stimulus funding has worked.

By Chris O’Brien

Full Story: http://www.mercurynews.com/business/ci_13903186