FYI - This was announced today.
Steve Burns

SUMMARY: The Rural Utilities Service (RUS) announces a new loan program and 
the availability of loan funds under this program to finance the construction 
and installation of broadband telecommunications services in rural America. 
The President of the United States and the United States Congress have made 
$100 million in treasury rate loan funds available, through a one-year Pilot 
Program, to encourage telecommunications carriers to provide broadband 
service to rural consumers where such service does not currently exist. This 
program will provide loan funds, on an expedited basis, to communities up to 
20,000 inhabitants to ensure rural consumers enjoy the same quality and range 
of telecommunications services that are available in urban and suburban 
communities. Loan funds are available immediately and applications will be 
processed and approved on a first-come, first served basis throughout FY 2001 
until the appropriation is utilized in its entirety.

(more info)
http://frwebgate.access.gpo.gov/cgi-bin/getdoc.cgi?dbname=2000_register&docid=
00-30872-filed




	Lara Leibman
	12/04/2000 01:14 PM
		 
		 To: Sue Nord/NA/Enron@Enron, Scott Bolton/Enron Communications@Enron 
Communications, Stephen D Burns/Corp/Enron@ENRON, Barbara A 
Hueter/NA/Enron@Enron, Susan M Landwehr/NA/Enron@Enron, Marchris 
Robinson/NA/Enron@Enron, Margo Reyna/NA/Enron@Enron, Jeff 
Dasovich/NA/Enron@Enron
		 cc: lleibman@enron.com
		 Subject: State/Local call

We will resume our state/local initiatives discussion this Wednesday, Dec. 
6th at 4pm CST.  The call in number will be the normal 1-888-311-9051; pass 
code 60396.  Thanks very much.

Lara