Missouri is applying for $142 million in federal stimulus money to help expand the reach of broadband Internet access to rural areas in the state.

The initiative would expand broadband accessibility to 91.5 percent of the total population, a significant increase from the current projected accessibility of 79.7 percent.

As broadband access becomes cheaper, online business becomes more embraced, and more of the public comes to the realization we all come to at some point (that dial-up royally sucks), faster Internet connections have become the norm, not the luxury.