Reliable Internet has become the backbone for many services, including 911 command centers and emergency notification systems, not just in California but across the country. Montana’s Sen. Jon Tester was recently named to the Senate Commerce Telecom Subcommittee, according to Politico. Tester represents longtime advocacy for access to rural broadband.
As cities move toward providing free Wi-Fi and rolling out citywide Internet, and school districts hand out one-to-one devices, many urban areas in California do not struggle with Internet access. However, rural populations — up to 340,450 households, according to the Los Angeles Times — still do not have reliable access.
Multiple solutions have been offered, such as counties providing broadband services to rural areas, as with Riverside’s RIVCOconnect, small cell technology and even the private industry providing services through the white spaces on unused TV channels.
The bill, which included 23 bipartisan co-authors, uses the California Advanced Services Fund, a fee added to telephone services, to fund the infrastructure and service improvements. Services will include assistance signing residents up for Internet access, especially in digital deserts.
The previous version of the bill shifted money from the Services Fund from telephone subsidies, releasing $315 million in 2008 toward Internet accessibility efforts.
Communities still looking to improve Internet access include:
- Visalia
- Tehama
- Lassen County
- San Francisco
- Yolo County
- Sonoma County
- Mendocino County
- Humboldt County
- Yuba City
- Oroville