Directs the Rural Utilities Service to make loans to fund the construction, improvement, or acquisition of facilities and equipment for the provision of broadband service in eligible rural areas and under served communities.
Requires the National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) to: (1) make grants for planning and feasibility studies on the deployment of broadband services in different geographic areas; and (2) support up to seven pilot programs for conducting innovative applications of wireless, satellite, and other non-wireline technologies capable of delivering broadband service to an eligible rural or under served community.
Requires a current Federal-State Joint Board and the National Exchange Carriers Association to report to the Federal Communications Commission and specified congressional committees on universal service and competition.
Directs the: (1) Secretary of Commerce to establish a grant program for the deployment of broadband technologies and services, particularly in rural and under served communities; (2) Comptroller General to study the facilitation of broadband deployment in other countries; and (3) NTIA to assess the role of broadband in rural and under served areas in addressing homeland security and public safety needs.
Provides for: (1) research by the National Science Board and the Director of the Institute of Telecommunications Sciences of NTIA on faster broadband services; (2) grants to colleges and universities for such research; (3) grants to libraries and museums to digitalize collections; and (4) grants for digital television conversion and programming.
Directs the Secretary to establish: (1) a digital network technologies program to strengthen the capacity of eligible institutions to provide instruction in digital network technologies; and (2) a community networking program to enable under served communities to deploy broadband capable networks, as well as broadband access for economic development, public safety, health care, and educational needs.