Californians Can Now Choose Their Broadband Destiny

Despite being one of the world’s largest economies, the state of California was long without a broadband plan for universal, affordable, high-speed access. It is clear that access that meets their needs requires fiber optic infrastructure, yet most Californians were stuck with slow broadband monopolies due to laws supported by the cable monopolies providing terrible service. But all of that is finally coming to an end. Governor Newsom signed into law one of the largest state investments in public fiber in the history of the United States. No longer will the state of California simply defer to the whims of AT&T and cable for broadband access, now every community is being given their shot to choose their broadband destiny. California’s new broadband infrastructure program was made possible through a combination of persistent statewide activism from all corners, political leadership by people such as Senator Lena Gonzalez, and investment funding from the American Rescue Plan passed by Congress. The program approaches the problem on multiple fronts; it empowers local public entities, local private actors, and the state government itself to be the source of the solution. Most notably, it does not rely on internet service providers to solve the digital divide, and instead empowers local community partners who will take on the long-term infrastructure challenge. For the first time in California's history, there is a law in place that lets communities decide their own broadband futures.