US$1 Trillion Economic Stimulus For A Better America - The Time Is Now To Invest In Broadband

This week Obama laid out his plan for a huge economic stimulus package. The stimulus package could cost close to US$1 trillion.

The president-elect called the economic situation in the U.S. a "crisis unlike any we have seen in our lifetime."

The stimulus package comprises:
* broadband roll-out to unserved and underserved areas;
* internet-based smart energy grid;
* computers for schools;
* medical records to be computerized within five years;
* rebuilding physical infrastructure such as roads and bridges;
* 21st-century classrooms, laboratories and libraries.

On the very latter the Bill & Melissa Gates Foundation awards $6.9 million in grants to Connected Nation and the American Library Association to help launch pilot broadband initiative in seven states. Perfect timing ...

It seemds that as the economic crisis in the U.S. deepens, visits to public libraries are up across the country. Many libraries in states across the country are reporting that online services are in high demand, especially for job seekers, students, and people who do not have Internet access elsewhere.

Source: ITWorld