Santa Barbara City Council to Tackle Broadband, State Street Master Plan

The Santa Barbara (CA) City Council is looking to spend $60,460 to work toward stronger broadband internet services. If the council approves the expenditure, which will be taken from American Rescue Act funds, it would join Santa Barbara County and other local agencies to work on a strategic plan. "As a region, our communities lack reliable connectivity to the internet to work and learn efficiently and effectively," states a letter from the Broadband Consortium of the Pacific Coast. "While some areas of Santa Barbara County are well connected, including government and higher education, our businesses and our families have been affected by a lack of capacity, connection, at an affordable cost. We need to work to ensure final mile connectivity for our communities, including our schools, healthcare providers and our families." The Santa Barbara Association of Governments is coordinating with the eight cities in the county to request participation in the regional broadband strategic planning process. The estimated cost is $400,000.