Gov. Gregoire applauds award of broadband stimulus funds to Spokane�s Tincan

For Immediate Release: December 19, 2009

OLYMPIA � Gov. Chris Gregoire today applauded a Spokane company who is the recipient of two federal broadband stimulus grants through the American Reinvestment and Recovery Act.

�This stimulus funding will greatly serve the Spokane area,� Gregoire said. �It�s grants like these that help connect people to the thousands of opportunities a broadband connection provides � including job and learning opportunities.�

Spokane's Inland Northwest Community Access Network (Tincan) received two grants from the U.S. Department of Commerce, National Telecommunications and Information Administration, for Broadband Technology Opportunities Program proposals in the Public Computer Center category and the Sustainable Broadband Adoption category.

The Public Computer Center grant will establish three new public computer centers and expand 17 existing centers in Spokane�s poorest neighborhoods to serve more than 5,000 additional users per week.

The Sustainable Broadband Adoption grant will increase broadband adoption through basic and advanced computer skill training, as well as community-based outreach campaigns to highlight the benefits of broadband for vulnerable populations and small businesses in Spokane.

Additional successful projects will be announced every two weeks or so, through the end of February. Successful projects will be funded out of the $7.2 billion earmarked to expand broadband access and adoption nationwide.

Broadband stimulus awards are designed to help communities which are unserved and underserved by broadband, to increase their access, infrastructure and adoption. To learn more about broadband efforts and stimulus funding visit http://broadband.dis.wa.gov/ or http://broadbandusa.sc.egov.usda.gov/.