With the government ready to spend an initial $7.2 billion on expanding broadband coverage, various interests are jumping up to protect their positions.

Established interests, including cable operators represented by the National Cable & Telecommunications Association (NCTA) and the American Cable Association (ACA), are arguing that the money should not harm existing companies by being used to help establish new competitors.

The phone companies are of a like mind, as reported by The Wall Street Journal (story here).

It seems as if everybody is getting into the act.

The managers of diversified media and technology holding company Voyant International have hooked up with Connected Nation, a non-profit dedicated to expanding access to broadband “to promote their common vision of ubiquitous broadband availability throughout the United States.”