Flush With Cash and Fearing Tighter Rules, Major Carriers Shun Broadband Stimulus - washingtonpost.com

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As the Aug. 20 deadline nears to apply for $4.7 billion in broadband grants, AT&T, Verizon and Comcast are unlikely to go for the stimulus money, sources close to the companies said.

Their reasons are varied. All three say they are flush with cash, enough to upgrade and expand their broadband networks on their own. Some say taking money could draw unwanted scrutiny of business practices and compensation, as seen with automakers and banks that have taken government bailouts. And privately, some companies are griping about conditions attached to the money, including a net-neutrality rule that they say would prevent them from managing traffic on their networks in the way they want.

Flush With Cash and Fearing Tighter Rules, Major Carriers Shun Broadband Stimulus - washingtonpost.com