A few weeks ago, President Obama signed the economic stimulus bill into law. It included $7.2bn for broadband infrastructure upgrade, plus some money for telemedicine and smart grids to stimulate applications.

The money unleashed a feeding frenzy. A recent public session of the Commerce Department -- the agency charged along with the Rural Utilities Service with administering this money -- generated a crowd of over thousand eager attendees. Around the country, many thousands of applications are now being prepared and political sponsors sought out. And around the world, with every economy having related problems, the American experience is being watched.