MONTEREY COUNTY — The internet is a critical part of everyday life — yet one in five Californians, including many in Monterey County, do not have access to affordable, reliable broadband service, devices and the skills to use them.
Going without a reliable broadband connection can affect the ability to land a better job, provide a better education to the next generation or fully access medical care. The gap between those with broadband connection and those without is known as the “digital divide.”
Over the next few months, the California Department of Technology will be leveraging a federal planning grant to develop a state Digital Equity Plan. When completed, the plan will deliver hundreds of millions of dollars in federal funding to California and ensure residents have affordable, high-speed internet access, as well as the skills and tools needed to participate in the digital economy.
To create a Digital Equity Plan that works for everyone, input is needed, and that input is being gathered by a statewide survey. Residents are being asked to take the survey and encourage others to as well by June 30.
“We have a goal of 250 responses from Monterey County to best gauge needs and input from community service providers and residents, but the more who respond give us a clear picture of what is needed,” according to County of Monterey officials.
Feedback collected from this survey will help form a plan to fund programs that provide reliable internet, computers and the skills to use them.
The state needs to hear especially from those who struggle most with accessing the internet. This includes English language learners, veterans, immigrants, adults over 60 years old, people who live in rural areas, individuals with disabilities, minorities and those living at or below the federal poverty level.
“Drafting the plan will be a major milestone toward enabling better digital access for those in Monterey County, so it is crucial that as many community members as possible participate in this planning process while there is still time,” officials said.
Take the California Digital Equity Online Survey at bit.ly/CADigitalEquitySurvey.
