with the defi nitions of unserved and underserved areas (Insight 7). Rural models of coupling fi bre backbones with broadband wireless access could be adopted more widely to ensure the most widespread broadband deployment, even during a fi nancial cri-sis. volvement in the planning, fi nancing and roll-out of broadband are other possibilities (either through Universal Service Funds or Public-Private Partner-ships at the national or municipal level). Fresh approaches and more imaginative funding schemes and/or state involvement have been incorporated into some stimulus plans. Infrastructure-sharing and open access strategies could also help keep costs down. Sweden has also allocated US$ 250 million in grants specifi cally for rural communities that did not yet have broadband service to build local broadband net-works, For example, of the US$ 787 billion planned for the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act 2009, the US Commerce Department’s National Tel-ecommunications with further US$ 250 million was available in and Information Administration tax relief for building out the networks. The procure-ment (NTIA) has been given US$ 4.4 billion to extend broadband and wireless services to rural, suburban and urban areas, while another US$ 2.8 billion goes to the Department of Agriculture’s Rural Utili-ties process has to be open and operator-neutral, while municipalities had to provide at least 10% of the cost of building the network with government support limited to a one-off subsidy for fi ve-year contracts. 50 Service (RUS) to expand broadband access to rural areas. Guidelines have recently been released 46 Confronting the Crisis: ICT Stimulus Plans for Economic Growth