Though the number of applications from wireless providers was large, the amounts each requested on average was relatively small. Of the $14.212 billion in last-mile funds requested, the 300 WiMax applications totaled $1.6 billion, according to the Forum. The National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) and the US Department of Agriculture’s RUS fund have set aside a total of $4 billion in grant funds with an additional $3.2 billion available for loans. In total the government has received applications for $28 billion in funding for all broadband stimulus projects.
Forum president and chairman Ron Resnick said that the high turnout among wireless providers shows that WiMax has enormous potential in bridging the digital divide between competitive urban markets and unserved and underserved rural markets.
“WiMax can be deployed over wide areas to serve thousands of consumers cheaper and faster than traditional wireline services,” Resnick said. “For every dollar spent on a new network, a WiMax operator can cover 10 to 20 times the number of homes and businesses with WiMax service than they can cover with wireline. These savings are passed along to the customer, who spends only $25 to $35 a month on a WiMax connection with comparable speed to a $50 to $60 cable or wireline connection.”
