老夫子传媒

In November 2021, Gov. Gavin Newsom announced in the state鈥檚 plan to build a public broadband infrastructure system which would help bridge the digital divide between those who have access to high speed internet and those who don鈥檛. That list included underserved communities of Southeast and South Los Angeles, and the Coachella Valley.

The plan is part of a 鈥�,鈥� , which includes $3.8 billion to build a backbone network of high-capacity fiber lines throughout the state, state officials said.

Over the last two years, the California Department of Technology, the agency responsible for mapping the broadband infrastructure, used community input and analysis from the state Public Utilities Commission to create its 鈥渋deal鈥� map for the broadband network, said Mark Monroe, deputy director of the department鈥檚 middle-mile broadband initiative, at a July meeting.

Then this summer, some community leaders and advocates noticed that portions of the initially proposed broadband network would no longer be built with available funds. Instead, some of the neediest communities were pushed to an unfunded 鈥減hase 2鈥� portion of the plan.

鈥淚t feels like we鈥檙e getting sent to the back of the line again,鈥� said Isabel Aguayo, mayor of the Southeast L.A. city of Paramount.

Advocates and state and community leaders confronted state officials, asking why after years of working with community members to build an infrastructure system that would bridge the digital divide, some parts of the plan were suddenly defunded or deprioritized. Meanwhile, portions of the network infrastructure in wealthier areas, like Beverly Hills, have already been leased.

The Department of Technology responded recently to CalMatters that the governor is committed to funding the entire network with a 2024 budget allocation and that the project will no longer be completed in separate phases.

But the state is facing a , and some community leaders and advocates are skeptical that the governor will be able to keep his promise. They also said they鈥檙e frustrated by the state鈥檚 lack of transparency regarding changes to the network.

Broadband for all聽

Advocates of and state leaders to push for the 2021 law that would fund the new broadband infrastructure.

In California, 15% of households, or about 2 million residents, don鈥檛 have access to high speed internet, said Niu Gao, a researcher for the Public Policy Institute of California.

Often a have a monopoly over service in an area, which means they can and choose where to do business. That has left lower-income and Black, Latino, tribal and rural for internet access, Gao said.

Image via Wayback Machine on August, 11, 2023.

The COVID pandemic shed light on .

School districts provided hotspots and free devices to help students who lacked computers and internet accessibility at home, so they could complete school assignments while their schools were closed. But even with the technology, a lack of broadband infrastructure meant many students experienced slow internet speeds, which made it difficult for them to stay on track.

A 2021 doing their homework in using the restaurant鈥檚 , creating a flurry of concern over the now obvious digital divide.

The same year the bill approving broadband funding, saying the state was committed to addressing internet connectivity challenges the pandemic exposed. The state would use mostly federal dollars, including funds from the American Rescue Plan Act.

鈥淭his $6 billion investment will make broadband more accessible than ever before,鈥� he said, 鈥渆xpanding opportunity across the spectrum for students, families and businesses 鈥� from enhanced educational supports to job opportunities to health care and other essential services.鈥�

The broadband system would include 鈥渕iddle-mile鈥� broadband networks and 鈥渓ast-mile鈥� networks. Middle-mile broadband network refers to the fiber optic backbone network that will be built out across the state. Last-mile networks connect homes, businesses and schools to that larger state network.

The state would own and manage the system and municipalities, nonprofits, internet service providers and education agencies would tap into the network, in theory creating competition and lowering broadband prices for all Californians, said Gao, the public policy researcher.

Will Newsom keep his promise?聽

The California Department of Technology that unexpected costs and inflation meant the funds allocated to the project weren鈥檛 enough to cover the 10,000 miles of middle-mile broadband that the state planned. The money would only cover 8,300 miles, leaving the remaining 1,700 miles of broadband unfunded.

In Los Angeles, middle-mile broadband infrastructure plans along major highways in South and Southeast L.A. cities were initially cut from the phase one plans, while infrastructure plans for Beverly Hills and West L.A. moved forward.

And in the Bay Area, broadband infrastructure in suburban Livermore and Pleastanton were in phase one plans, but some communities in Oakland were relegated to phase two, said Patrick Messac, director of Oakland Undivided, an organization that aims to help bridge the digital divide.

Although state officials previously spoke about the plan in terms of a 鈥減hase one鈥� and 鈥減hase two,鈥� after inquiries from media and digital equity advocates, they now say that work for the entire 10,000 miles is underway, although much of it is not yet funded.

鈥淣o one area is being prioritized over another by (the California Department of Technology),鈥� said Bob Andosca, a spokesperson for the department. 鈥淭he work will be authorized immediately in every area where Caltrans completes pre-construction work, and many projects will proceed simultaneously.鈥�

Daniel Lopez, a spokesperson for the governor鈥檚 office, said closing the digital divide has been a top priority for Newsom.

鈥淭he governor鈥檚 commitment to that mission has not wavered and his January (proposed) budget will double down on the state鈥檚 work to deliver high-speed internet access to all communities across California and will fund the full 10,000 miles of middle-mile projects,鈥� Lopez said.

The governor鈥檚 office did not answer specific questions about how much funding would be needed to cover the entire network, nor how the budget allocation would be possible if the state is facing a budget deficit.

鈥淚t鈥檚 really hard for the people of Oakland to trust more promises when so many have been broken in the past, and the state describes this broadband for all as a once-in-a-generation investment,鈥� said Messac of Oakland Divided.

Leaders of the California Community Foundation say they鈥檙e grateful the governor has committed to funding the whole network, but they worry the rollout has not been equitable and they are skeptical the project can be completed by the December 2026 deadline, given the overall budget deficit.

Jarrett Barrios, chair of the , said the underserved communities were 鈥渓ifted up鈥� as the reason for seeking funding for a broadband project.

鈥淐ommunities get overlooked again and again and again and that鈥檚 why they are underserved,鈥� he said. 鈥淎nd it becomes habit.鈥�

Assemblymember Mia Bonta, a Democrat from Oakland, met with top-level members of Newsom鈥檚 administration at the end of the legislative session to discuss the shortfall in funding.

鈥淎ssemblymember Bonta was upset to see a pattern in which the communities that were deprioritized were low-income and communities of color,鈥� said Tomasa Duenas, her spokesperson. 鈥淭his includes a major portion of Oakland that has historically been underserved by broadband but has a huge need for proper infrastructure 鈥� She, along with the California Legislative Black Caucus and others, will be watching to make sure (Newsom) keeps his promise. Too much is at risk.鈥�

Rural and underserved cities left behind

The state鈥檚 $6 billion investment includes to go to local governments, internet service providers, nonprofits, libraries and education agencies that plan to build last-mile networks connecting to the state鈥檚 network.

The technology department received 483 applications from entities in every county, requesting a total of $4.6 billion, more than twice the grant money available.

But with the changes to the middle-mile plan, some communities that applied for those grants are wondering if their work was in vain.

The middle-mile changes likely will determine which municipalities and agencies are prioritized for the grants. The farther away a last-mile project is from the middle-mile network, the more expensive it is, making broadband projects in underserved communities less tenable, said Shayna Englin, director of the California Community Foundation鈥檚 .

Some groups chose to scale back ambitious plans because they no longer know what middle-mile networks are guaranteed.

Others have chosen to wait to see if the state Public Utilities Commission has answers about which projects will be funded or delayed, Englin said.

One of those project applicants is the Gateway Council of Governments, a group of 26 Southeast Los Angeles-area cities, including Compton, Paramount, Bellflower and Lakewood.

The leaders of the council were excited to learn in November 2021 they would be prioritized. They immediately got to work.

The group applied for the state grant and invested two years developing a cost analysis and initial design plan to link their communities to the state鈥檚 broadband network, said Andrew Vialpando, a spokesperson for Paramount鈥檚 mayor. Now the group has chosen to scale back its plan, cutting out six underserved cities, including Paramount, Compton and Bellflower.

鈥淚t was something we were all getting behind,鈥� said Compton Mayor Emma Sharif. 鈥淲e were excited about it. All of a sudden we looked up and said 鈥榃ait a minute, what happened?鈥� It was devastating for us. This is something I was really hoping to bring to my community.鈥�

Similarly 40 rural counties that make up the Rural County Representatives of California came up with a joint plan to build last-mile projects in 37 jurisdictions. They weren鈥檛 expecting the state to change the plan.

The most recent change to the maps the group used for its planning happened on or around Sept. 29, the day that applications were due, said Tracy Rhine, senior policy advocate with the Rural County Representatives of California. That change means a project they hoped to build in the majority Latino, farmworker community of Greenfield in Monterey County may no longer be viable.

Both groups still submitted their grant applications by the deadline. They said they鈥檙e unsure if they鈥檒l receive the grants and haven鈥檛 received clarity or guidance from the state Public Utilities Commission about how to modify their applications based on the middle-mile network changes.

The California Public Utilities Commission, the agency in charge of disbursing funds for last-mile projects, declined interview requests from CalMatters. It did provide a statement in response to questions.

Terrie Prosper, a spokesperson for the state Public Utilities Commission, wrote applicants got 鈥渆xtensive technical assistance鈥� before the applications were due and commission staff continues to work with applicants.

In the July 21 meeting, Public Utilities Commission officials said the grants will be disbursed in the first quarter of 2024.

The Department of Technology declined CalMatters鈥� request to interview department officials but answered questions via email.

In order to roll out the middle-mile network in the most cost efficient way, the Department of Technology is using a mix of methods, including purchasing or leasing existing fiber optic networks, which the state would operate and maintain, along with building new infrastructure. The state so far has spent $1.8 billion on various lease, purchase and joint-build agreements that will deliver 6,500 miles of the middle-mile network.

Most of that, $1.2 billion, went to leases for existing infrastructure. The state has contracts with 10 lease providers 鈥� private sector companies, government organizations and nonprofits 鈥� covering about 4,699 miles of the network. That includes leases for infrastructure in Beverly Hills and parts of West L.A.

Advocates also say the state is underestimating the number of households lacking broadband services because agencies are relying on flawed information from service providers.

Based on such Federal Communications Commission data, less than 10% of the population, or 20 million people, lack broadband internet, Gao, of the Public Policy Institute of California, said. However estimate about 42 million people are underserved.

Prosper, from the Public Utilities Commission, said their broadband data is flawed.

Regardless, Sharif, Compton鈥檚 mayor, said cities in the second phase are keeping an eye on the broadband funding decisions, hoping Newsom will keep his promises.

鈥淥ur cities can鈥檛 afford to be pushed aside and forgotten,鈥� she said. 鈥淭hese are critical steps to closing the digital divide, and we want to make sure we are part of that and that we are being thought of.鈥�

 is a nonprofit, nonpartisan media venture explaining California policies and politics.