Achieving Universal Broadband in California

While most Californians have access to broadband, at least two million households (15 percent) still do not—a gap known as the digital divide. In 2021, California invested $6 billion through Senate Bill (SB) 156 to expand broadband infrastructure, address affordability, and promote digital literacy. The Public Policy Institute of California presents findings from the first year of implementation, drawing on statewide broadband data and interviews with 41 community partners, spread across 54 of California’s 58 counties. The Institute finds that:

• Low-income, rural, and tribal communities are on the wrong side of the digital divide.
• Local communities are pursuing funding from federal, state, local, and private sources.
• Natural disasters pose serious threats to broadband networks. 
• State and federal maps overstate how many households have access to broadband. 
• Affordability and digital literacy are major barriers to broadband adoption.