How San Jose is Closing the Digital Divide

Equity drives San Jose’s (CA) approach to bringing new technologies to the city, and the deployment of municipal broadband and municipal fiber lines are no exception. Located in Silicon Valley, San Jose city officials are acutely aware of the technology boom happening on their doorstep and are eager to welcome these advances, provided they can do so in a way that speaks to the needs of all residents. With only three percent of the city connected to high quality fiber lines, the city needed to improve overall access to high speed internet as well as address the digital divide for 95,000 residents without access. After commissioning a study of the city’s broadband approach as well as conducting surveys with low-income populations, San Jose officials set about working with the private sector on an arrangement that facilitates deployment, speaks to the city’s equity goals and meets provider expectations. They settled on a tiered pricing structure where providers pay $750-$2500, depending on whether they will cover the entire city or pick and choose limited deployments. Larger deployments essentially receive a bulk-discounted rate. This revenue then feeds into two important city goals: internal capacity building and digital equity.