Governor Schwarzenegger's Broadband Task Force Releases Report
In late 2006, Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger created the California Broadband Task Force, and named two key participants in Calit2 to the panel: Calit2 Director Larry Smarr, and UC Irvine's Debra Richardson, Dean of the Donald Bren School of Information and Computer Sciences. The Task Force has now weighed in with its final report, "The State of Connectivity: Building Innovation Through Broadband", including seven main recommendations and new maps showcasing broadband access and speeds around the state. While indicating that 96% of households can access wireline broadband, barely 50% currently use it. The Task Force report also calls for action to make California the world 's broadband leader. Following is the official Task Force news release, and the final report is available at http://www.calink.ca.gov/taskforcereport .
Gov. Schwarzenegger issued the following statement after the California Broadband Task Force released its final report:
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Sacramento, CA, January 17, 2008 -- The California Broadband Task Force today released its final findings and recommendations in a report to the Governor and Legislature. The report, “The State of Connectivity: Building Innovation Through Broadband,” represents the culmination of more than a year of work by the Task Force, including maps of current broadband availability and speed, recommendations to achieve universal access and increased use, and a timeframe in which to meet these critical goals.
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In order to bring the tremendous advantage of high speed internet to even more Californians, the Task Force has proposed seven recommendations, each containing action items to be led by both the public and private sector:
• Build out high-speed broadband infrastructure to all Californians
• Develop model permitting standards and encourage collaboration among providers
• Increase the use and adoption of broadband and computer technology
• Engage and reward broadband innovation and research
• Create a statewide e-health network
• Leverage educational opportunities to increase broadband use
• Continue state-level and statewide leadership
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“We now know that California is a national leader in broadband, but through partnerships between the public and private sector, the state is poised to become the world’s leader,” Secretary Bonner added.
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“The detailed mapping compiled in this report helps fill the gaps of information available to policy leaders. With this level of detail, California's public and private sectors can work together to increase adoption rates among those households with broadband access and reach the remaining communities without it," Giancarlo said.
The California Broadband Task Force was created by Governor Schwarzenegger in November 2006 as part of Executive Order S-23-06. The Task Force is co-chaired by Business, Transportation and Housing Secretary Dale E. Bonner and former Cisco Chief Development Officer, Charles Giancarlo. The Governor appointed 19 other task force members, representing a wide array of the public and private sectors..
The full report can be viewed at www.calink.ca.gov/taskforcereport .
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Media Contacts
Media Contact: Doug Ramsey, 858-822-5825, dramsey@ucsd.edu