$80,000 Awarded for Digital Equity Investments Across Four CCABC Jurisdictions
Valley Vision and the California Emerging Technology Fund (CETF) are pleased to announce $20,000 Digital Equity Leadership Grant awards to four local government jurisdictions in the Connected Capital Area Broadband Consortium (CCABC) region. The Local Governments in the Greater Sacramento Region receiving the Digital Equity Leadership Grant awards are:
- City of Citrus Heights
- City of Isleton
- City of West Sacramento
- Yuba County
As part of the grant award, the four CCABC jurisdictions join the list of 36 awarded jurisdictions across California committed to participating in the Local Government Best Practices Check List Project, in order to support the adoption of policies and practices, as well as accelerate progress in closing the Digital Divide in California. The project includes attending quarterly Learning Community roundtables; the concept of the Learning Community recognizes that local leaders will drive progress if supported to share their experiences to coach one another with peer accountability for measurable progress.
“The County appreciates the opportunity to commune and engage with the greater California broadband stakeholder community to incorporate best practices on broadband expansion, toward the goal of maximizing connectivity for the citizens of Yuba County. We are pleased to accept the support of the California Emerging Technology Fund in furthering the County’s broadband mission, and look forward to pursuing implementation of lessons that have been learned elsewhere. Digital inclusion and digital equity are at the forefront of economic development priorities, as their expansion has the potential to have an outsized positive impact on all aspects of participation in the modern economy.”
–Ian Scott, Yuba County Special Projects Manager
“I look forward to applying the award to best advantage for our people that reside here, local businesses that have chosen Isleton for their nexus, and the outsiders that visit this unique location. We intend to emphasize affordability and accessibility throughout the application of this award. With limited access to transportation services and basic infrastructure, beautiful semi-rural communities like Isleton must seek their future online.”
-David Kent, City of Isleton Councilmember
Local Governments will be able to use the $20,000 Grant as they see most useful to close the Digital Divide in their jurisdiction. They also will be provided information by CETF about affordable lower-cost Internet service plans and available digital literacy training resources to distribute in their digitally-disadvantaged neighborhoods.
About the Local Government Best Practices Check List Project:
The Local Government Best Practices Check List was developed and released in 2021 by CETF, Regional Broadband Consortia, and the California State Association of Counties. It sets forth 5 Best Practices for each of 5 Roles that Local Governments can play in closing the Digital Divide, promoting Digital Inclusion, and achieving Digital Equity: (1) Policy Leader; (2) Planner; (3) Regulator; (4) Consumer Purchaser; and (5) Service Provider. The Check List provides a framework for Local Governments to assess their own progress.
These 5 Roles were first delineated in a Resource Guide for Local and Regional Leaders published by CETF in 2010 in collaboration with the Orange County Business Council and updated in 2021 in partnership with Valley Vision, the fiscal agent for the Connected Capital Area Broadband Consortium.
The updated resource guide, “Getting Connected: A Broadband Deployment and Adoption Resource Guide for Local and Regional Government Leaders” highlights the Local Government Best Practices Check List, as well as broadband masterplans, ordinances, and case studies to support local government leadership in broadband deployment. The Getting Connected resource guide continues to be a valuable resource for governments, with mentions across several toolkits, including the California Department of Technology.
Grant Partnerships
Sunne McPeak, CEO of the California Emerging Technology Fund, notes: “We are grateful to Valley Vision for reaching out and engaging leading-edge jurisdictions to pave the path forward. There is so much power and innovation that emerges when we join forces to deploy high-speed Internet infrastructure and get all residents online—especially the most digitally-disadvantaged residents in low-income communities.” McPeak also expressed appreciation to the California Department of Technology (CDT) Office of Broadband and Digital Literacy for contributing valuable content about broadband deployment permit streamlining to the Learning Community. CDT Broadband Access & Deployment Advisor Maria Kelly will be participating in the Learning Community to help support the 36 Local Governments.
