Investments to Accelerate Digital Equity

Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors approved a motion on developing the infrastructure necessary to provide low-income residents in the County with affordable, high quality and high speed, sustainable internet service. Approximately 364,000 households in Los Angeles County lack internet access due primarily to cost. The county will explore viable options to facilitate residential access to reliable broadband service in low-income communities that lack internet service and to return to the Board with quarterly updates. The Board:

1. Identified the Internal Services Department (ISD) as the County’s lead department to ensure the County’s efforts on all community broadband infrastructure and residential services are aligned and coordinated.
2. Instructed the County departments to fund a countywide promotional campaign to make residents aware of existing financial subsidy programs currently available through the State and Federal government. The campaign must be conducted in multiple languages to ensure everyone gets the opportunity to apply.
3. Instructed ISD to negotiate the lowest price, but best quality internet services with the County’s existing contracted broadband and/or carriers or negotiate new contracts.
4. Instructed ISD to execute agreements with consultants to return to the Board of Supervisors with options for a long-term sustainable strategy to provide residential internet services, such as a Community Wireless Network or County-administered municipal broadband service. This will help to ensure that low cost, high quality internet service can be sustained.

The motion was authored by Chair Hilda L. Solis, Supervisor to the First District, and co-authored by Supervisor Holly J. Mitchell