California is the most populous state in the nation, with an estimated 36.8 million people residing within the state’s borders. Out of this total population, approximately 12.7 million have regular high speed internet access, through one of several means of broadband connectivity, according to a January 2010 report from the Federal Communications Commission.
These almost-13 million savvy consumers know that having a high speed internet connection is an essential part of daily life, in today’s world. Most of the more common internet applications, like on-line banking, shopping, social networking, and downloading or viewing video, require fast internet access. And with the current access technologies, which don’t require the use of a dedicated or shared phone line, broadband internet connections are more convenient than ever.
Californians living in the state’s most populous cities, such as Los Angeles, San Diego, San Jose, San Francisco, and Fresno, likely have access to all of the above-mentioned internet delivery methods. However, residents who live outside the major population centers or in the smaller towns like Long Beach, Sacramento, Anaheim, and Oakland may have more limited access to broadband internet. And those people who live in the state’s rural communities may be able to connect only through dial-up connections or satellite internet.
