In Bristol, Va., a broadband network installed two years ago has drawn high-tech companies that hired local labor. Sometimes the labor is skilled in another line of work and needs training for jobs that depend on technology that relies on fast networks, Settles said. In Greene County, N.C., a county initiative for broadband has stimulated jobs as well.

Settles said sprawling Oklahoma City, Okla., would be a prime candidate for broadband stimulus dollars to lure businesses. "Their land mass is so large," he said.

Information from the IDG News Service was included in this report.