State Digital Equity Plan
Closing California’s Digital Divide
The State of California completed an extensive, months-long engagement and planning effort with more than 50,000 state residents, partners, and stakeholders to identify digital equity barriers for covered populations and recommended solutions based on community and lived experience. The feedback and input obtained from this process is being analyzed and will inform the State’s Digital Equity and BEAD (Broadband Equity Access and Deployment) Plans that will represent California’s rich population diversity.
Statewide Planning Group
The California Department of Technology (CDT) developed a Statewide Digital Equity Planning Group to advise CDT on the statewide digital equity planning process. The SPG consists of twenty-two state entities, including member entities of the California Broadband Council and additional organizations with direct connections to covered populations and those with subject matter expertise tied to key policy outcome areas.
The SPG meetings were open to the public and attended by hundreds of residents, partners and stakeholders.
Discover more about this impressive effort.
Outcome Area Working Groups
The State developed six Outcome Area Working Groups (OAWG) to convene subject matter experts and practitioners to develop strategies that align with state policy priorities, through the lens of the digital equity barriers of the covered populations. The Outcome Area Working Groups focused on Education, Healthcare, Digital Inclusion, Workforce and Economic Development, Essential Services, Accessibility, and Civic Engagement, and Tribal Collaboration. Each working group conducted four meetings and collectively attended by over 2,600 residents and subject matter experts.
More information is available about the working groups’ insights and strategies.
Regional Planning Workshops
The State of California partnered with regional broadband consortia and other local entities to host 17 Broadband for All, Digital Equity, and Broadband Equity, Access and Deployment Program (BEAD) Regional Planning Workshops and three Regional Tribal Consultations in every economic region across the state. These historic working sessions brought together over 2,200 residents and leaders from diverse backgrounds to identify digital equity barriers for covered populations and recommend strategies to close the digital divide.
More about these dynamic workshops and the impactful discussions and outcomes they delivered.
California Digital Equity Public Phone Survey
CDT, in partnership with the California Emerging Technology Fund and researchers from the University of Southern California Annenberg School for Communication and Journalism, conducted a statewide phone survey that gathered feedback from 3,200 residents across the state about their experiences, needs and aspirations regarding broadband access and digital equity.
California Digital Equity Public Online Survey
CDT and the Broadband Equity Partnership released a mobile-friendly, online public survey that generated over 40,000 responses from residents and self-identified members of underserved populations from every California county. The survey proved to be one of the most accessible of its kind. It was translated into 14 languages and included audio translations for those with sight impairments or low literacy.
Digital Equity Ecosystem Mapping
CDT gained new insights into California’s digital equity landscape through the Digital Equity Ecosystem Mapping (DEEM) tool and DEEM tool for Internet Service Providers. More than 400 government organizations, tribes, schools, libraries, community-based organizations, labor, philanthropic and private sector organization completed the DEEM tool to identify organizations, programs, resources, and gaps in the California’s digital equity ecosystem.
Stakeholder Engagement
CDT underwent a comprehensive stakeholder communications and engagement process resulting in over 51,000 individuals participating in the State Digital Equity Plan. A social media outreach campaign resulted in over 300 million impressions that spanned every corner of California. CDT continues to publish a monthly Broadband Newsletter to over 5,000 stakeholders.
Additional Resources
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Digital Equity Plan.