California Emerging Technology Fund Calls for More Outreach for Broadband Subsidies

The California Emerging Technology Fund (CETF) calls on Internet Service Providers (ISPs) and public agencies to begin advertising and increase awareness programs to reach the nation’s neediest residents.  According to the Federal Communications Commission (FCC), only 1 in 12 eligible households, or 5.7 million households nationally, have enrolled in the Emergency Broadband Benefit (EBB) as of September 19.  In a separate analysis by CETF, based on FCC enrollment data, 35 percent of 2 million eligible California households have enrolled for a total of nearly 706,000 households.  The analysis finds that nearly 1.3 million state households are eligible but have not enrolled. “It is time for ISPs and the myriad agencies and utilities that regularly interact with lower-income residents through existing social service and financial aid programs to get everyone connected immediately," said CTEF President and CEO Sunne Wright McPeak. "We are calling upon ISPs to advertise and all State Agencies, School Districts, Counties, Cities, Higher Education Financial Aid, Covered California and Power Utilities to notify low-income households and get everyone signed up.”