Connected Nation, Created By Telco Lobbyists, Gets Millions In Gov't Funding To Hide Broadband Data From The Gov't

from the well-that's-helpful dept

Wed, Dec 23rd 2009 6:37pm — Mike Masnick

While many were surprised that the first few grants of broadband stimulus money did not go to the telco lobbyist boondoggle known as Connected Nation, you knew it had to come eventually. There were cases where Connected Nation was given deals despite being more expensive and having less experience. Or, in the case of Minnesota, the governor just decided the state should go with Connected Nation, before a state task force (appointed by the governor to explore this issue) could even weigh in.

So it should come as no surprise that (right before the holidays) it's been announced that a big chunk of broadband stimulus money is going to Connected Nation (including, of course, in Minnesota). It's a really sweet boondoggle. The operation was set up by telco industry lobbyists, with the claim that it will accurately map broadband penetration (an important factor in figuring out a broadband plan). But, rather than actually mapping the data, and actually revealing the details, Connect Nation basically hides and obfuscates the data in a way that protects the telcos. Aren't you glad that your taxpayer money is now being used to support this effort?

Thank you for reading this Techdirt post. With so many things competing for everyone’s attention these days, we really appreciate you giving us your time. We work hard every day to put quality content out there for our community.

Techdirt is one of the few remaining truly independent media outlets. We do not have a giant corporation behind us, and we rely heavily on our community to support us, in an age when advertisers are increasingly uninterested in sponsoring small, independent sites — especially a site like ours that is unwilling to pull punches in its reporting and analysis.

While other websites have resorted to paywalls, registration requirements, and increasingly annoying/intrusive advertising, we have always kept Techdirt open and available to anyone. But in order to continue doing so, we need your support. We offer a variety of ways for our readers to support us, from direct donations to special subscriptions and cool merchandise — and every little bit helps. Thank you.

–The Techdirt Team

Filed Under: boondoggle, broadband, broadband policy, broadband stimulus
Companies: connected nation

11 Comments

If you liked this post, you may also be interested in...

Reader Comments

Subscribe: RSS

View by: Time | Thread

Anonymous Coward, 23 Dec 2009 @ 7:41pm

Go Obama...
...and don't come back.
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
- Haapi, 23 Dec 2009 @ 8:49pm
  
  Re: Go Obama...
  Obama? And you have NOTHING to say about Pawlenty and lobbyists? Really?
  [ link to this | view in chronology ]
  - Anonymous Coward, 23 Dec 2009 @ 10:42pm
    
    Re: Re: Go Obama...
    The grant was awarded by the National Telecommunications & Information Administration (NTIA). Given that the NTIA is an agency in Obama's cabinet and under his control, you question his responsibility? Really?
    [ link to this | view in chronology ]
Yogi, 24 Dec 2009 @ 1:36am

Fail
I fail to understand how the US has the largest, most robust economy in the world under these conditions.

I assume this position is only temporary and probably fading.
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
- Big Al, 24 Dec 2009 @ 5:11am
  
  Re: Fail
  Check out China...
  [ link to this | view in chronology ]
- Chargone (profile), 24 Dec 2009 @ 7:04am
  
  Re: Fail
  well, there are those trillions of dollars worth of debt to consider... (not that I'm an economist or anything, but I'm really wondering how that's meant to help...)
  [ link to this | view in chronology ]
ECA (profile), 24 Dec 2009 @ 2:10am

I wonder.
WHEN will it be ok to Give our representatives a TEST.
Of current knowledge and data base, Internet Information gathering?

I would LOVE to have BASIC requirements(certain games) to be NEEDED to even be considered RUNNING for office.
SIM CITY
CIVILIZATION
And a few others to name a few.

WE elect POLITICIANS..NOT real people. WHY?
Give me a person that has HAD a real LIFE, and elect THEM. NOT these Cloistered Individuals that havnt seen the WORK PLACE.
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
The Anti-Mike, 25 Dec 2009 @ 10:44pm

Stories like this make baby jesus cry
He cries mostly because they are as one sides as the groups they try to take down.

Mike, honestly: Do you think the reports would be any less biased the other direction if they were created only by people outside of broadband services areas, internet gurus, consumer advocates, and major P2P players?

No matter what, the "other side" will always find fault in what is going on.

I have to say that your self-linking on this one shows that you are trying very hard to make this into a much bigger hill of beans that it really is.

I have to ask, you say that:

Connect Nation basically hides and obfuscates the data in a way that protects the telcos

yet the contracts have been just announced. Are they that good that they produced the reports before even being selected?
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
- Anonymous Coward, 26 Dec 2009 @ 10:01pm
  
  Re: Stories like this make baby jesus cry
  yet the contracts have been just announced. Are they that good that they produced the reports before even being selected?
  
  Nah, they're just so crooked that they produce reports before they even collect any data.
  [ link to this | view in chronology ]
  - Derek Kerton (profile), 4 Jan 2010 @ 1:13pm
    
    Re: Re: Stories like this make baby jesus cry
    Anti Mike,
    
    "yet the contracts have been just announced. Are they that good that they produced the reports before even being selected?"
    
    You fulfill your name in your post, as Mike has knowledge about this, and you don't. See these stories if you want to better understand Connected Nation's methodology:
    
    http://www.techdirt.com/blog.php?company=connect+kentucky&edition=techdirt
    
    Th ey actually do have a track record. The organization was formerly Connect Kentucky, and has grown from those roots.
    [ link to this | view in chronology ]
- anymouse (profile), 28 Dec 2009 @ 11:28am
  
  Re: Stories like this make baby jesus cry
  They use the inverse scientific method (or the Corporate Method (tm) if you prefer) for producing their reports.
  
  1. Determine desired outcome (ie. more money for big telecom, limited funding for anyone else).
  2. Design data model that satisfies requirement 1.
  3. Create data (ie. make stuff up) that supports the model and outcome designed in step 2.
  4. Push bogus 'reports' as facts. Repeat Over and Over and Over and Over and Over and Over until everyone has heard the bogus 'facts' and repeated them as 'accepted' facts.
  5. Collect Government 'handouts' based on bogus data.
  6. Profit.
  7. Laugh all the way to the bank.
  
  I'm going to patent the Corporate Method of problem solving, as it seems to get much more use than the Scientific method.
  [ link to this | view in chronology ]