The money is leftover from a $126.3 million
stimulus grant awarded to the state in 2010. Any excess funds that aren't spent
by Dec. 31 must be returned to the federal government.
The state wants to award the funding to
Citynet for a broadband project. Citynet proposes establishing nine facilities
to connect to the national Internet "backbone" in Pennsylvania
and Ohio
The National Telecommunications and Information Administration declined last month
to approve the project. In a letter to the state, the agency cited several
problems, including the state's failure to provide information about its plans
to return unused routers to Cisco Systems.
