The recent stimulus bill had a hidden gift for the Smart Grid – namely, $7.2 B in funding for expanded broadband access under the “Broadband Technology Opportunities Program.”  The program is undoubtedly a response to the United States’ low position in broadband access compared to the rest of the world.

Consider some facts about the bill:

• This funding will primarily go to “unserved” and “underserved” populations.
  
• All of the funding must be spent on projects that could be completed within the next 2 years.
  
• Much of this money will be dispensed in the form of grants to companies with a variety of ideas, as long as they meet the requirements spelled out in the bill.

The program also funds the development of a “national broadband plan,” which can be fashioned to address a variety of purposes:

“(D) a plan for use of broadband infrastructure and services in advancing consumer welfare, civic participation, public safety and homeland security, community development, health care delivery, energy independence and efficiency, education, worker training, private sector investment, entrepreneurial activity, job creation and economic growth, and other national purposes.”

The plan could very well include provisions for using the newly funded national broadband infrastructure for advanced metering functions.

The act itself is not as surprising as the magnitude of investment here.  Bear in mind that much of this money is meant to be coupled with private sector money, so even more will flow in than is outlined here.  Communications infrastructure can be a large portion of AMI costs, so buying down the infrastructure now not only improves the business case for Internet-based AMI, it also has potential to dramatically increase the pace at which this AMI is deployed.

   Read the CNET article on the Broadband Stimulus