The federal government shutdown finally ended this week and bills appropriating money for broadband were quickly approved in the U.S. Senate. The most notable of the bunch was legislation providing $109 million for rural projects deploying BB or distance learning and telemedicine. The U.S. Department of Agriculture will oversee the programs, and the deployment portion of the money is designated for rural areas in which at least 90 percent of households lack access to 25/3 Mbps service and no other federal money is being spent.