Today, President Obama announced a new series of 66 national broadband investments to rural and underserved areas that are expected to create 5,000 jobs. The $795 million in grants and loans are part of last year’s broadband stimulus funds and are expected to generate more than $200 million in private investment.

"We're moving forward," Obama said of broadband investments, which he added can "lead to hundreds of thousands of new jobs."  The investments are expected to benefit more than 685,000 private businesses, 900 health care centers and 2,400 schools.  Read more here.

“This is an opportunity for us to expand this 21st century infrastructure,” Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack added in a conference call yesterday with reporters. The grants and loans are being administered through the Agriculture and Commerce Departments. “This program is a textbook investment done right, where government startup funding catalyzes billions of dollars in private investment,” Commerce Secretary Gary Locke said. Read more here.