Stimulus fails to link Texas' small towns and rural areas with high-speed Internet service

The US government has made progress on enabling high-speed Internet for just a fraction of the homes and businesses that need it. But the billions for broadband in last year's stimulus law was a down payment on universal broadband. After that money is spent, large swaths of Texas will remain unserved by broadband providers. Telecom regulators say the answer rests on reforming a complex and politically entrenched system of local phone subsidies that support telephone service providers, including Dallas-based AT&T. In the meantime, residents and business leaders in rural and thinly populated parts of Texas say they've lost potential employers, including call centers, and educational opportunities without broadband access.