"We ought to have universal, affordable access to broadband technology by the year 2007," Bush said in a speech in Albuquerque, New Mexico. "And then we ought to make sure that as soon as possible thereafter consumers have plenty of choices..."

Telephone and cable companies like Verizon Communications and Comcast have been fiercely competing to sign up customers to high-speed Internet service, which is seen as a lucrative market.

However, fierce competition is limited to certain regions of the country. A ruling handed down by the Supreme Court this week is likely to limit access choice for rural citizens, by allowing states states to forbid cities and local governments from offering their own communications services.

The relatively high cost per customer of doing business in sparsely populated areas has traditionally discouraged telephone companies from offering service in those regions. Instead, they're often served by just one or two regional providers.

Source: Reuters