On the first day of the 2021 Legislative session, Senator Lena A. Gonzalez (D-Long Beach), introduced Senate Bill 4, the Broadband for All Act, which would make significant changes to the way the state funds broadband infrastructure projects. SB 4 is a retooling of Senator Gonzalez’s similar proposal last year which failed passage in the Assembly.
The Broadband for All Act revises the State’s broadband funding mechanism, the California Advanced Services Fund (CASF) program, to create a more equitable broadband funding stream that prioritizes those areas of the state that lack the most basic broadband service. For instance, currently local governments are only eligible for CASF funding if no other service provider applies to fund a project in that area. SB 4 would not only make local governments eligible for CASF but would also enable those jurisdictions to utilize state funding to leverage other public and private funding opportunities.
RCRC staff has worked collaboratively with Senator Gonzalez throughout the interim on finding innovative solutions to closing the digital divide, including supporting local governments that are interested in providing high-quality, reliable internet service to their constituents. Bringing robust, high-speed internet access to RCRC member counties is essential to, not only economic growth, but to the basic health and safety of our communities.
RCRC joined a large coalition supporting SB 4 at introduction. The coalition letter can be found here. For more information, please contact Tracy Rhine at TRhine@rcrcnert.org.