Governor Gavin Newsom has, as one of his many California demanded priorities the creation of a quality, high speed broadband infrastructure action plan to deliver access to underserved and unserved rural communities in our state. This is a priority too long at the bottom agenda of past administrations. Governor Newsom heard the voice of the rural communities to expand and modernize California's broadband infrastructure, important for improving the economic, educational, and local services within this geographical sector of California.
For too long broadband service providers served the more lucrative urban areas within our state, ignoring much of the rural areas which this industry considers garners less profitable return on infrastructure investment. Governor Newsom has a different vision, “Broadband for All,” for urban and rural communities.
In 2010, Senate Bill 1462 established the California Broadband Council, tasked with developing a plan for expanding broadband services to underserved and unserved communities throughout the state. On December 30 2021, the California Broadband Council published their Broadband Action Plan 2020, California Broadband for All report, announcing the goals needed to meet the challenge:
· First - provide "high-performance broadband" for "homes, schools, libraries, and businesses."
· Second - "access to affordable broadband and necessary devices."
· Last - utilize the full range of state's resources including "collaboration with federal, municipal, and tribal governments."[i]
On May 14, 2021, Governor Newsom announced his plan to create the "largest public broadband fiber network" infrastructure in the country backed by sources from the state's budget surplus, federal recovery dollars, and $7 billion investments. Governor Newsom's plan calls for extending high speed fiber networks along roads leading to rural communities, providing service compared to those received in major urban areas. The plan prepares these communities to meet the technological network needed to support these services.
On June 15 2021, the Governor's plan will be received by the legislature for ratification, requiring only a simple majority.[ii] Under his leadership, Democratic State Senators and Assembly members presented five broadband bills in the current 2021-2022 Legislation Session which, if passed, meets the goals of the California Broadband Council task force:
· AB 14 Communications:
· Broadband Services:
· California Advanced Services Fund;
· AB 34 Broadband for All Act 2022;
· AB 41 Broadband Infrastructure Deployment;
· SB 4 Communications:
· California Advanced Services Fund; and,
· SB 28 Broadband for All.
The California Democratic Party Rural Caucus, representing the state’s rural sector, has taken a strong position on these bills, urging its community in a “Call-to-Action” newsletter announcement to communicate with their State Senate and Assembly representatives to move these bills forward.[iii] The Rural Caucus argued this action is needed to counter the telecommunications industry's argument that the state "should not 'subsidize' competition. The Rural Caucus responded, either "lead, follow, or get out of the way."[iv] The California Broadband Task Force, and our state representatives,enacted the roadmap to accomplish our Governor's vision. Now it's time for all California citizens to come to the aid of our rural community, calling on your legislative representatives to pass the Broadband Bills and ratify Governor Newsom's Broadband Action Plan.
BROADBAND LEGISLATION CALL-T0-ACTION
AB 14 Communications: Broadband Services: California Advanced Services Fund
AB 34 Broadband for All Act 2022
AB 41 Broadband Infrastructure Deployment
SB 4 Communications: California Advanced Services Fund
SB 28 Broadband for All
Endnotes
[i] California Broadband Council, "California Broadband Action Plan, December 30 2020," https://broadbandcouncil.ca.gov/wp-content/uploads/sites/68/2020/12/BB4All-Action-Plan-Final.pdf, page 3, 2021 (Accessed May 30 2021).
[ii] Ernesto Falcon, E30FF Electronic Frontier Foundation, "Governor Newsom's Budget Proposes Historic Investment in Public Fiber Broadband," https://www.eff.org/deeplinks/2021/05/governor-newsoms-budget-proposes-historic-investment-public-fiber-broadband, May 14, 2021 (Accessed May 30 2021).
[iii] The Rural Caucus California Democratic Party, "Broadband Legislation 2021, Rural Caucus Position Paper Broadband Funding and Regulation 4.12.21," https://files.constantcontact.com/60591c4a201/4b525c7d-883d-4c32-b664-9662b05fa339.pdf April 12 2021 (Accessed May 29 2021).
[iv] The California Democratic Party Rural Caucus, "Urgent Support Needed for Rural/Universal Broadband Legislation," Newsletter to its members dated May 11 2021 (Accessed May 29 2021).