State returning $23 million grant for broadband

In the end, the federal government apparently had no interest in helping to put down broadband infrastructure that would ultimately be owned by private companies.

Due to federal regulatory hurdles, Wisconsin is declining a $23 million federal grant designed to expand broadband fiber to schools and libraries across the state.

"If DOA accepted the grant without meeting all of the precise federal regulatory requirements, Wisconsin taxpayers would be required to repay the $23 million back to the federal government," Mike Huebsch, Secretary of the Wisconsin Department of Administration, wrote in a Feb. 11 letter to parties affiliated with the grant. "This is simply an unacceptable risk."

Full Story: http://wistechnology.com/articles/8292/