Joint Public Meeting March 10, 2009

[Hume Vance]

There has been a mixed reaction to the Joint Public Meeting held
Tuesday at the Department of Commerce. Saul Hansell at the New York
Times worries that lobbyists are lining up to siphon off program funds
in unaccountable ways. This apprehension adds to fears expressed
elsewhere that the programs are too large, and the timelines for the
disbursement of funds are too short for there to be any chance of the
development of a coherent and effective course of action.

I am more sanguine about the prospects. My understanding of the
legislative history is that many knowledgeable and smart people gave
considerable attention to the question of how much funding could be
usefully absorbed over the next two to three years, over and above
investments already planned or anticipated by various operators. The
final size of the funding reflects considered opinions of experts
within the agencies and among interested parties in industry and
elsewhere.

There is always the risk that enormous programs like the broadband
programs will fail. It is true both that many crucial posts in the
agencies are as of yet unfilled. It is also true that many fundamental
questions about how to run the programs remain unresolved. However,
the presenters yesterday made many points forcefully about several
fundamental principles.

* The programs will preferentially fund more advanced technologies
that offer faster access speeds.
* Proposals will be scored on efficiency: "biggest bang for the
buck."
* The agencies encourage coordination with goals of other parts of
the ARRA, especially including transportation
* The agencies interpret a big part of their mandate as to start
disbursing funds very quickly

I will comment next on what I see the implications are of these
principles.

The men and women who spoke were obviously seasoned professionals.
Yes, the tasks are daunting. However, the presenters appeared to fully
understand the magnitude of the task ahead, and to be acting
responsibly to move the planning forward as expeditiously and at the
same time as carefully and comprehensively as possible.