The state will receive an additional nearly $9 million in federal grants to deliver its Broadband for All plan statewide, officials from the National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA), the California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) and the California Department of Technology (CDT) said at a virtual press conference Tuesday. The money, which augments California’s $6.5 billion budget to roll out Broadband for All, comes from the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, aka the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA), signed Nov. 15, 2021, by President Joe Biden. It’s aimed, generally, at planning “for the deployment and adoption of affordable, equitable, and reliable high-speed Internet service throughout the state,” CDT said Wednesday in a news release.
“California has made historic investments to tackle the digital divide and this commitment from the Biden-Harris administration strengthens the work underway throughout the state to advance Broadband for All, with a focus on unserved and underserved communities,” Gov. Gavin Newsom said in a statement. “We’ll continue our progress with partners at every level to ensure that all Californians have the reliable broadband connection they need to succeed in school, at work and beyond.” Among the takeaways:
- The state will receive nearly $5 million — precisely $4,996,502 — to pay for “activities” including identifying locations that are unserved and underserved by broadband; planning and boosting the capacity of the state’s broadband programs; creating a “sub-grantee program for last-mile broadband deployment”; and bolstering the creation of a five-year action plan.
“You know, generations before us brought electricity and water to everyone in America. They built the interstate highway system. This is our generation’s big infrastructure moment,” said Alan Davidson, assistant secretary of commerce for communications and information and NTIA administrator. “This is our chance to connect everyone in America to the tools that they need to thrive in the modern digital economy.” - CDT will administer a $4 million grant to develop the State Digital Equity Plan (SDEP), per the news release — with the $4.9 million, thereby making up the nearly $9 million. The IIJA says plans must “clearly identify the digital equity barriers for underserved populations including low-income residents, aging individuals, incarcerated persons, veterans, members of racial or ethnic minority groups and those in rural areas.”
- The CPUC will administer $4.9 million in federal grants for its Broadband Equity, Access, and Deployment Program (BEAD); all told, the program delivers $42.45 billion to improve high-speed Internet access by “funding planning, infrastructure deployment and adoption programs.” The CPUC intends to use the “Initial Planning Funds to increase equitable access to broadband service to all Californians,” according to the news release; these monies will supplement planning already ongoing “as part of the suite of programs the CPUC administers to fund broadband deployment, local government and tribal technical assistance, affordability, and digital equity in the state.”
The state is “very excited to leverage the funding programs that were outlined in the bipartisan legislation and the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act,” said Scott Adams, CDT’s deputy director of broadband and digital literacy, adding: “Can’t tell you how eager we are to begin leveraging the digital equity app dollars and the BEAD program dollars to really help accomplish the aims of Broadband for All and connect all of our residents.”
CPUC Commissioner Darcie L. Houck called the state-federal partnership “crucial” to ensuring residents are “connected with fast, reliable and affordable broadband service.” At CPUC, receipt of the planning funds announced Tuesday will “kick off a public engagement process to develop the road map for how these funds will be used in California,” CPUC President Alice Reynolds said. - CDT is developing a yearlong planning process that will convene “subject matter experts and practitioners to develop strategies that align with other state priorities,” it said in the news release. These include economic and workforce development, education and health. Officials will also do a statewide survey, aimed at comprehending roadblocks to digital equity that are centered on broadband access and adoption, digital literacy, and issues like privacy and cybersecurity. It will be conducted online, in person and over the phone. Find more information on the state’s Broadband for All portal and the SDEP website.
