It was only a matter of time before the large cable MSOs such as Comcast, who joined the telcos in opting out of the broadband stimulus race over fear of the FCC's net neutrality rules, would begin protesting broadband grant applications.
Comcast is the first major carrier to protest broadband stimulus applications. A report in Bloomberg today revealed that the MSO is filing data with the NTIA and the Department of Agriculture's Rural Utilities Service (RUS) that a number of submitted applications for broadband stimulus funding grants target areas where Comcast already provides service. David Cohen, Comcast's executive vice president, claims that since the U.S. Broadband stimulus funding program was designated to bring broadband services to areas where service is not available, targeting areas where it already provides service could 'violate eligibility rules.'
The Senate Commerce Committee will hold a hearing on the broadband stimulus program tomorrow.
Other than saying Comcast will identify applications that are targeting areas where it already provides broadband service, Cohen did not specify how many of the applications it is protesting. "Those applications don't qualify for funding primarily because they are applications to provide service in areas where there is already broadband service," Cohen said in a statement.
For more:
- Daily Herald via Bloomberg has this article
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