California seeks $1 billion in stimulus funds to bring broadband link to every household

The good news is that 96 percent of California's households have access to a high-speed Internet connection. The bad news is that despite the good news, 45 percent of California residents - a number greater than the populations of all but five states - still don't have broadband connections in their homes because of geography, disabilities, a lack of English language skills or poverty. Now the promising news: The state is poised to grab as much as $1 billion in federal stimulus money for closing what's referred to as a "digital divide" between Internet haves and have-nots. The federal money could be spent in a variety of ways: for construction of both wired and "wireless" Internet-access systems; for connection projects aimed at specific groups, such as senior citizens or patrons of public libraries; to subsidize access fees for low- income users; and for education and outreach programs designed to impress the Internet's importance on groups that currently don't use it much.