New law will help California leverage federal stimulus funding for broadband in rural areas

SACRAMENTO – Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger recently signed legislation that will enable the state to compete for billions of dollars in federal broadband funding.

Assembly Bill (AB) 1555, authored by Assemblymen V. Manuel Pérez (D-Coachella) and Felipe Fuentes (D-Sylmar) and co-authored by North Coast State Senator Patricia Wiggins (D – Santa Rosa) and Assemblyman Wesley Chesbro (D – Eureka), increases the number of applicants seeking federal funding for broadband infrastructure projects in areas of California that currently don’t have access to high speed Internet...