Thanks to Ann Higgins for sending an article from TeleCompetitor with what appears to be some insider news on the stimulus funding. Here are the short facts (taken pretty much straight from the article):

1. 18 RUS BIP applicants have been notified that their applications made it to the second phase of the review process.
2. There were 11,000 reply comments for all 2,200 applications, indicating significant incumbent challenges of unserved/underserved claims by applicants
3. Eighty percent of all applications received at least one reply comment
4. RUS needs to validate all challenge claims, which will lengthen the award notification process
5. Announcements of award winners will begin ‘sometime’ in December, but the award notifications will be done on a rolling basis and will be ongoing well into 2010
6. Campanola revealed some interesting insight into the traditional RUS loan program as well, including “over 90% of all traditional RUS loan applications last year were for FTTH projects.”
7. As the article points out – these details indicate that a lot of work still needs to happen.