Image by FlegereOPINION – Outdated regulations written before the internet existed continue to require broadband companies to prop up old copper telephone networks, even as consumers abandon them for the new horizons, capabilities, and possibilities of broadband.
Image by T. SchneiderOPINION – California is in the midst of a once-in-a-generation investment to help ensure everyone has access to broadband services, and the desire for improved connectivity is universal. However, an ongoing California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) docket on broadband service quality regulations threatens to undermine the commendable progress being made to narrow the digital divide and could impose undue costs on small businesses and consumers across the state.
Image by evan_huangOPINION – The California Public Utilities Commission should be applauded for its efforts to help California lead in advancing “broadband for all.” But misguided CPUC rulemaking on service quality threatens to reverse years of progress.
Fast Internet, image by alphaspirit.itOPINION – The CPUC recently approved measures to marry state and federal broadband subsidies. Its decision allows eligible Californians dual enrollment to the state`s Lifeline program and the federal Affordable Connectivity Program (ACP). This pilot is a massive value that comes at no cost to the consumer.
Photo by Sinart Creative via ShutterstockThe Legislature and Governor should utilize the budget process to reconsider whether the current state plan can reasonably achieve 100% broadband availability, in light of the worsening condition of the state budget.
A person uses a laptop computer to go online and search for housing. (Photo: Tada Images, via Shutterstock)OPINION: Expanding broadband access is key to advancing equity in our increasingly digital society. So why are California regulators taking steps to restrict the use of federal and state broadband subsidies to support communities that need them most, effectively widening the digital divide?
High-cables connected to a server. (Photo: Everything You Need, via Shutterstock)OPINION: With explosive wildfires once again raging across California, public safety must be paramount as legislators take final action on bills. Action is needed now to ensure that Governor Newsom’s $6 billion broadband plan enacted in July protects all Californians no matter which provider or network delivers their communications service.
An illustration of high-speed broadband connections serving a city. (Image: kkssr, via Shutterstock)OPINION: The gaps between the connected and unconnected have never been clearer as California continues to grapple with the COVID-19 pandemic. The lack of access to online classes, employment opportunities and telehealth visits became more apparent when COVID-19 shut down our state.
A woman linking her tablet to the Internet via a service provider. (Photo: Daniel Krason, via Shutterstock)OPINION: With a historic investment in broadband on the horizon, Gov. Newsom and the California Legislature have an unprecedented opportunity to bring chronically unserved California households online with high-speed Internet.
Illustration of a highspeed connections at a data center: >i>(Image: Anucha Cheechang, via Shutterstock)OPINION: During the past year, as the pandemic inflicted incalculable heartbreak and loss, internet connectivity helped Californians get through the worst public health crisis in over 100 years. But while reliable, high-speed internet access became a lifeline to so many of us during the pandemic, this lifeline was not equally available to all of us.