East Bay EDA is supporting a statewide broadband inclusion initiative in collaboration with the California Department of Technology (CDT), the California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) and many other community partners, to present a workshop in Oakland seeking to gather input on the development of the State Digital Equity Plan (SDEP) and the Broadband Equity, Access, and Development (BEAD) Five-Year Action Plan.
The main goal of these workshops, which will be taking place at 16 locations across the state, is to close the digital divide. We encourage members from diverse organizations throughout the community to participate in the event and share their experiences with connectivity and adoption issues, device access, and knowledge/training about how to use devices. Your input will help determine how future federal funding is allocated to achieve Broadband for All in our local communities.
In alignment with one of East Bay EDA’s key priorities for economic recovery and prosperity addressed in our East Bay Forward report, this event focuses on how to best utilize broadband infrastructure investments from the state to ensure our communities are receiving the greatest impact. The East Bay EDA understands that revolving broadband needs will require coordination of stakeholders and resources to address geographical gaps in high-speed broadband and mobile data service, high costs of high-speed data service subscriptions, increasing digital fluency within the workforce and population, and supporting small business owners in expanding their internet presence and e-commerce operations.
If you are interested in participating in this event, please register here: Bay Area Broadband for All, Digital Equity, and BEAD Planning Workshop