FCC Chairman Julius Genachowski continues to warn that there will be a spectrum crunch because of increasing demand caused by mobile devices.Read more

As funding from the national broadband stimulus continues to make its way across all 50 states, we’re highlighting some of the new high-speed Internet expansion efforts getting underway. Here is a look at three more broadband projects making news this week:

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In California, a new $66.6 million dollar public-private partnership project will build 1,300 miles of broadband fiber, connecting 110,000 homes and 11,300 businesses to high-speed Internet access. Read more about the project here.

Michigan State University has been awarded a $6 million dollar grant to expand broadband access through underserved urban areas including Detroit. The project is expected to add 2,232 new broadband enabled computers at 207 locations. "We put a major emphasis on the Detroit area," says Kurt DeMaagd, assistant professor of telecommunications at Michigan State University. "I'd say a third of our grant is for Hamramck, Highland Park and Detroit." The new computers are expected to reach more than 13,000 people. Read more here.

South Dakota has received a $20 million dollar grant toward a SDN Communications project designed to “deliver the world” of high-speed Internet to the state. “This is truly amazing technology,” Gov. Mike Rounds said. The project will install broadband access to 305 schools, government offices and public safety institutions, across 359 miles of fiber. Read more here.

Virginia’s Mid-Atlantic Broadband Cooperative and Old Dominion University have received a $10 million dollar grant to build out 170 miles of high-speed Internet access across the southeastern region of the state. Read more about the project here.

The Department of Agriculture has announced an additional $1.2 billion in funding toward 126 broadband projects across the country. The funds are part of the national broadband stimulus aimed at promoting high-speed Internet access and adoption. This most-recent round of funding will target 38 states and Native American tribal areas. Agricultural Secretary Tom Vilsack said the projects, "will give rural Americans access to the tools they need to attract new businesses, jobs, health care and educational opportunities. Bringing broadband to rural America provides a gateway for businesses and key anchor institutions--such as libraries, schools, public safety and community centers." Read more from the National Journal here.

Here is a look at some of the projects being announced:

California: Softcom Internet Communications Inc. has been awarded $6.8 million to expand broadband access in Sacramento and San Joaquin counties. Softcom will build out fiber access across 378 square miles, reaching 14,000 customers and 4,200 businesses. "Now, through the aid of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, we will be able to expand our offerings and benefit the rural communities that we serve through affordable and accessible broadband," said Softcom’s Kevin Triplett. Read more about the project here.

Georgia: $13 million will go toward several rural broadband access projects across the state. Read more here.

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Connected Nation announced a multi-state launch of a new interactive broadband mapping application in Michigan, Minnesota, Nevada and South Carolina. The maps, which are now accessible through the Connect Michigan www.connectmi.org; Connect Minnesota www.connectmn.org; Connect Nevada www.connectnv; and Connect South Carolina www.connectsc.org websites give local residents a place to find providers at their address, check their current Internet speeds, request broadband service in their area and provide feedback on the initiatives.

A public demonstration of the program’s mapping feature, BroadbandStat, was recently held via a series of webinars to encourage citizen feedback and to demonstrate the broadband expansion scenario building that can be achieved by using the tool.

The maps, which depict broadband services currently available down to the street level, will be updated on a routine basis to reflect “real-time” broadband availability so that policy makers, Internet providers, and the general public can use the maps to make informed decisions about broadband investment and expansion.

Connected Nation will continuously refine the maps as more data is gathered—relying upon citizen feedback as part of the validation process. Residents, businesses, and any interested parties with knowledge of the state broadband landscape are asked to go to their respective initiative state website to provide input that will be used to verify and ensure the highest level of accuracy for the broadband maps.

Connected Nation is a Washington DC based firm specializing in public-private broadband partnerships. Read more about their work here.

Broadband for America has released a new video featuring David Ellis of the Corporate Director of Planning and Future Studies at the Detroit Medical Center and the Editor and Publisher of Health Futures Digest with Emery King. King is former Anchor and Chief Political Correspondent with WDIV-TV in Detroit, Michigan and as former White House Correspondent for NBC News. He currently serves as Communications Director at the Detroit Medial Center and Host of the “Emery King Medical Video Library”. Mr. Ellis and Mr. King discuss the importance of broadband adoption and how access to high-speed Internet is rapidly becoming a mainstay of our everyday lives. From the video:

David Ellis: “Broadband is important because we increasingly do our work on the highway and we don’t want to be held up in slow traffic or stuck in a traffic jam. … When we apply for that job, we want it to happen now.”

“I would agree with former FCC Chairman Michael Powell who said that having access to broadband Internet is synonymous with growing our economy. I couldn’t agree more. … How much do we need? As much as we can get.”

Watch the full video here.