A week after the official deadline for electronic submission of applications for the Broadband Initiatives Program (BIP) and the Broadband Technology Opportunities Program (BTOP), the National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) revealed today that nearly 2,200 applicants have requested \$28 billion in funding. The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) has provided a total of \$7.2 billion with \$4 billion being made available during this round. The funding is available as grants, loans, or a combination thereof.

The NTIA and <acronym title="Rural Utilities Service">RUS</acronym> are expecting to make a searchable database of application summaries available in the near future.

The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 appropriated \$7.2 billion to “expand broadband access to unserved and underserved communities across the U.S., increase jobs, spur investments in technology and infrastructure, and provide long-term economic benefits.” The funds are being administered by the U.S. Department of Agriculture's (USDA) Rural Utilities Service (RUS) and the Department of Commerce's National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA).