Da-Chief
07-13-2008, 12:25
http://i.dslr.net/urls/17/67117.gif (http://www.dslreports.com/shownews/New-Bill-Could-Bridge-Digital-Divide-in-California-96072)
Last week Governor Schwarzenegger signed (http://www.govtech.com/gt/376607?topic=117699) a bill designed to bring broadband to rural California and to close the digital divide in the state. However, there are some questions (http://www.redding.com/news/2008/jul/13/law-opens-new/) regarding how much this bill is really going to help with the problem. The bill allows community service districts (those folks who supply water and sewer services) to enter the business of providing rural Internet services in areas where no private company is doing so. However, there is a provision which requires any district that builds such a system to sell or lease it to a private Internet provider if one comes forward in the future seeking to serve the area. While some are happy just to hear that underserved areas (such as Humboldt County and Trinity County) could be getting broadband in the near future, others say it is unrealistic to expect community service districts to build these networks for the ultimate benefit of private ISPs.
read comment(s) (http://www.dslreports.com/shownews/New-Bill-Could-Bridge-Digital-Divide-in-California-96072)
More...
Last week Governor Schwarzenegger signed (http://www.govtech.com/gt/376607?topic=117699) a bill designed to bring broadband to rural California and to close the digital divide in the state. However, there are some questions (http://www.redding.com/news/2008/jul/13/law-opens-new/) regarding how much this bill is really going to help with the problem. The bill allows community service districts (those folks who supply water and sewer services) to enter the business of providing rural Internet services in areas where no private company is doing so. However, there is a provision which requires any district that builds such a system to sell or lease it to a private Internet provider if one comes forward in the future seeking to serve the area. While some are happy just to hear that underserved areas (such as Humboldt County and Trinity County) could be getting broadband in the near future, others say it is unrealistic to expect community service districts to build these networks for the ultimate benefit of private ISPs.
read comment(s) (http://www.dslreports.com/shownews/New-Bill-Could-Bridge-Digital-Divide-in-California-96072)
More...