California lawmakers set sights on bridging the digital divide.

A new bill introduced in the California Assembly on Monday, Dec. 7 is making a new attempt to close the state’s digital divide. Many details of the bill will need to be worked out when the legislative session begins in January, but the announcement comes at a time when the Covid-19 pandemic has focused attention on internet access disparity.

While it is still early in this particular bill’s process, there is a sense of enthusiasm around the topic. 

“It’s an exciting time in California to see our state legislators prioritize closing the digital divide in our state,” says Luis Alejo, a Monterey County Supervisor (and former state assemblymember). “This pandemic has highlighted that our children are the most adversely impacted, but that access to robust internet is also needed for our seniors and workers during this pandemic. The stars are aligning to finally get something significant done in our state.”

The bill, which is called the California Broadband for All Bond Act and was introduced by members Al Muratsuchi, Eduardo Garcia and Miguel Santiago, aims to ensure that over 98 percent of the state’s households have broadband internet access by providing up to $10 billion in infrastructure funding via a general obligation bond measure. 

If approved by voters in the November 2022 election, the Legislature will enact the Broadband for All Act of 2022 and approve funds for infrastructure development by Dec. 31, 2022. 

In general, updating broadband infrastructure means replacing old copper telephone wires with new fiber-optic lines.This is expensive, but proponents say the upgrades will last long enough to make the up-front investment worthwhile.

To date, the state’s central broadband initiative has been the California Advanced Services Fund, which was established in 2007 and provides grants to telephone corporations working to bring internet to underserved areas. The Broadband for All Bond Act, as well as a bill introduced on Dec. 7 in the Senate by Lena Gonzalez, would make money available to local governments wishing to invest in public sector infrastructure. Yet another bill, introduced Dec. 7 by State Sen. Anna Caballero, D-Salinas, would encourage public-private partnerships where broadband network developers could gain access to and use state-owned properties for development of broadband infrastructure.

According to data from the American Community Survey, in 2017 a total of 74 percent of all households in California had broadband access. However, access is not evenly distributed—just 59 percent of rural households and 55 percent of low-income households have high-speed internet.

These numbers are especially troubling in a world in which, due to Covid-19, people are relying on their home internet connection more than ever. Children who don’t have Wi-Fi at home, for example, are increasingly at risk of falling behind now that school has gone virtual. At least one local initiative is trying to help bridge the gap—the Monterey County Free Libraries have 300 hotspots available for checkout through Feb. 20, 2021.

Past legislative efforts to improve broadband in the state have been unsuccessful—but there is hope that the pressure of Covid-19 will change that.

“California is the technology capital of the world and it’s a shame this digital divide has gone on for too long,” Alejo adds. “This crisis has forced officials to look to address it once and for all.”