Today's a big day for Central Louisiana and the rest of rural America. The president of the United States will provide some details about his plan to wire the entire nation with broadband Internet access, a 21st century necessity that right now does not exist too far off the interstate.

...Research by the expert Pew Internet & American Life Project tells the story: Just 57 percent of Americans use broadband services, even though 91 percent of American homes have access to them.