A task force appointed by Governor Schwarzenegger says increasing the availability of broadband is critical if the state wants to stay economically competitive. The group has released a report that includes maps of which areas have broadband access and which areas don't. It found statewide 96 percent of California households have access to broadband. But task force co-chair Charles Giancarlo says there are wide geographic variations.
Giancarlo: Many urban areas can be as high as 99 percent and by way of contrast, the northern Sierra only has about 57 percent of coverage of broadband.
Giancarlo says there are roughly 1.4 million Californians who don't have access to broadband internet access - mostly in rural areas. He says statewide a little over half of Californians subscribe to broadband services, which lags behind other countries. The task force recommends that the state encourage private sector investment in broadband, and promote the use of the technology in education and healthcare.
