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<p class=MsoNormal style='mso-element:frame'><b><font size=5 color=black
face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:15.5pt;color:black;font-weight:
bold'>PRESS RELEASE<o:p></o:p></span></font></b></p>
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<p style='mso-element:frame'><font size=2 color=black face="Times New Roman"><span
style='font-size:10.5pt;color:black'>07/08/2008 GAAS:509:08
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=headline style='mso-element:frame'><b><font size=4 color=black
face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:13.5pt'>Governor Schwarzenegger
Signs Legislation Expanding Broadband Services in Rural Communities<o:p></o:p></span></font></b></p>
<p style='margin:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt;mso-element:frame'><font size=2
color=black face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:10.5pt;color:black'>Helping
to expand broadband access in many rural communities throughout <st1:place
w:st="on"><st1:State w:st="on">California</st1:State></st1:place>, Governor
Arnold Schwarzenegger today announced he has signed <a
href="http://www.leginfo.ca.gov/cgi-bin/postquery?bill_number=sb_1191&sess=CUR&house=B&author=alquist"
title="http://www.leginfo.ca.gov/cgi-bin/postquery?bill_number=sb_1191&sess=CUR&house=B&author=alquist">SB
1191</a> by Senator Elaine Alquist (D-San Jose) authorizing community service
districts to provide broadband services to their residents.<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=content style='margin:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt;mso-element:frame'><font
size=2 color=black face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:10.5pt;
color:black'> <o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=content style='margin:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt;mso-element:frame'><font
size=2 color=black face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:10.5pt;
color:black'>“We live in an age where technology drives everything we
do and to remain competitive and connected in the future we must expand
broadband access today,” said Governor Schwarzenegger. “This
legislation will help connect <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:State w:st="on">California</st1:State></st1:place>’s
cities to each other and to the world by growing our digital highway.”<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=content style='margin:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt;mso-element:frame'><font
size=2 color=black face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:10.5pt;
color:black'> <o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=content style='margin:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt;mso-element:frame'><font
size=2 color=black face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:10.5pt;
color:black'>Nearly one and a half million mostly rural Californians do not
currently have access to broadband service. SB 1191 will help close this
digital divide in rural communities by allowing community service districts
to provide this additional service on top of many vital local services they
already provide for including water, sewer and police protection.<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=content style='margin:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt;mso-element:frame'><font
size=2 color=black face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:10.5pt;
color:black'> <o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=content style='margin:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt;mso-element:frame'><font
size=2 color=black face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:10.5pt;
color:black'>The bill implements a recommendation put forth by the California
Broadband Task Force in its <a
href="http://www.calink.ca.gov/taskforcereport/"
title="http://www.calink.ca.gov/taskforcereport/">final report</a> in
January. The task force was created by Governor Schwarzenegger to evaluate <st1:place
w:st="on"><st1:State w:st="on">California</st1:State></st1:place>’s
broadband access and make recommendations to increase services statewide.
Specifically, the task force’s final report includes maps of current
broadband availability and speed, recommendations on how to achieve universal
access and increased use and a timeframe to meet those goals.<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=content style='margin:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt;mso-element:frame'><font
size=2 color=black face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:10.5pt;
color:black'> <o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=content style='margin:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt;mso-element:frame'><font
size=2 color=black face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:10.5pt;
color:black'>Governor Schwarzenegger signed <a
href="http://gov.ca.gov/index.php?/press-release/4575/"
title="http://gov.ca.gov/index.php?/press-release/4575/">Executive Order
S-21-06</a> in October 2006 creating the Broadband Task Force to bring
experts from government and business together to identify and eliminate
obstacles to making broadband access universal in the state.<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
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