- San Diego Creates Master Plan
- Kansas Program Opens Applications
- Federal Government Invests in Colorado County
- Study Shows Local Economic Impact of Broadband
- ITIF Report Addresses Government-Owned Networks
SAN DIEGO CREATES MASTER PLAN
This week, the city of San Diego, Calif., has announced it has taken the first steps to develop a new Broadband Master Plan. The initiative aims to assess the current landscape of broadband access in the city and offer recommendations for improvement.
“With the Broadband Master Plan initiative, we look forward to learning how to better serve San Diego and eliminate the digital equity divide,” Jonathan Behnke, the city’s CIO, said in a statement. In parts of the city, like San Ysidro, this divide affects more than 40 percent of households that do not have a broadband subscription.
In the coming weeks, the city has a series of focus groups planned during which it hopes to engage residents about their current Internet access and speeds.
The master plan is funded by a $500,000 state of California Local Agency Technical Assistance grant. CTC Technology and Energy will lead the planning process.
The plan’s creation has several key goals. Primarily, it aims to increase the availability and affordability of broadband in the city. This work will prioritize underserved communities, low-income housing residents, and public-serving city facilities. It also aims to help the city prepare to maximize the impact of forthcoming federal broadband infrastructure investments.
As part of this plan’s development, the city plans to explore the role public-private partnerships could play. The city has identified seven community-based organizations to collaborate with community members and business owners to understand their digital equity needs: Casa Familiar, the City Heights Community Development Corporation, the San Diego Housing Commission, the Urban Collaborative Project, the Sherman Heights Community Center, Somali Family Service of San Diego, and the County of San Diego Black Chamber of Commerce.
More information about the city’s master plan, from the development process to partnerships to various ways to get involved, can be found on the city’s website. This webpage also offers a variety of digital equity resources to support community members in getting connected to Internet-enabled devices, technical support, and free Wi-Fi service.
KANSAS PROGRAM OPENS APPLICATIONS
In state-level news, Kansas is set to open applications for a second round of funding in the Advancing Digital Opportunities to Promote Technology (ADOPT) program funding. Through this program, $10.7 million in funding will be made available to support public Wi-Fi and device distribution.
As part of the ADOPT program, the Kansas Office of Broadband Development (KOBD) is partnering with entities that can help procure, distribute, manage and maintain devices. Partnerships will also help deliver public Wi-Fi solutions in unserved and underserved areas.
The application period opens Dec. 12, and KOBD is hosting a webinar Dec. 11 at 11 a.m. to inform the public about the application process.
FEDERAL GOVERNMENT INVESTS IN COLORADO COUNTY
Crowley County, Colo., will be leveraging funding from the Capital Projects Fund to expand fast and affordable Internet service to 30 percent of residents. The Southern Colorado Economic Development District will receive the award and will partner with a provider, SECOM, to bring access to rural Colorado.
“The residents in Crowley County desperately need fiber broadband to participate in a modern economy,” said Colorado Broadband Office Executive Director Brandy Reitter. “Their options are very limited and this investment will make a positive impact for years to come.”
In addition to bringing more than 1,700 homes online, the funding will connect 26 community anchor institutions, such as schools, libraries and hospitals.
STUDY SHOWS LOCAL ECONOMIC IMPACT OF BROADBAND
In other local news, a new report from a connectivity consultancy has found that improving broadband access and adoption in Harlan County, Ky., could generate $71.5 million in direct economic benefits.
The study addresses the impact of the declining coal industry on the county’s economy, leaving more than 30 percent of county residents with a household income below the poverty line. It also addresses the declining population. The study estimates that improved broadband availability would result in more than 1,000 people either relocating to or staying in Harlan County.
The study was conducted by FarrPoint in partnership with Kentucky’s Shaping Our Appalachian Region, and Connect Humanity.
ITIF REPORT ADDRESSES GOVERNMENT-OWNED NETWORKS
The Information Technology and Innovation Foundation (ITIF) has released a report about government-owned broadband networks (GONs), Government-Owned Broadband Networks Are Not Competing on a Level Playing Field.
The report concludes that while there are advantages for GONs, such as support granted to these networks with subsidies, tax exemptions, and regulatory exemptions, the report argues those things can also be applied to private networks.
It also claims governments are less efficient than private providers at building and operating broadband networks because of their experience level.
The report argues the federal government should take steps to account for the unlevel playing field between GONs and private options. However, it also argues that states should do away with unnecessary restrictions on municipal broadband.
