Broadband For All Work Plan
Author: Gladwyn d'Souza | Category: Unkown category | Date: 01-16-2021
Overview:
Senator Gonzalez has proposed a Broadband For All bill, SB4, for the 2021 legislative session aligned with AB34 in the assembly.
Talking Points: This is primarily a funding bill that makes Work From Home, School From Home, Remote Healthcare, and Remote Food Access available to more people who would otherwise have to drive, thus reducing Green House Gases and dirty air and water caused by auto transport. The pandemic has realized other environmental benefits such as a more involved public, reduced auto crashes and decreases in air pollution caused by auto emissions. Broadband For ALL allows employers to take advantage of newer infrastructure to permit Work From Home and School From Home while providing parents with alternatives. Increasing the availability of broadband improves equity outcomes for poor communities that have suffered disproportionately during the pandemic from lack of access to education, food and healthcare.
Goal: Public High Speed Internet for all as a public utility aka Community Broadband Network (CBN).
Strategies and Tactics:
Alignment:
Work with aligned groups like 350 and BayCATs
Reach out to Environmental Justice groups and school groups.
Proposal:
Work towards a public utility model of internet- Community Broadband Network (CBN)
Make the BFA bill similar to AB 117, an enabling legislation which allowed for the formation of CCA, to form CBN at the city and county level,
Determine what is needed for a CBN in San Mateo.
Do we work with a funding bill and suggest a utility bill next?
What are the parameters of the funding bill?
Should CBNs encompass infrastructure, equipment, and education?
Should BFA provide/augment city and county for all three?
Support:
Get our local legislators to sign on in support.
Get cities and schools to send in support letters.
Get EJ groups to send in support letters.
Get large companies to send in support letters.
More info:
12/07/2020
Torrance, CA – Assemblymembers Al Muratsuchi (D-Torrance), Miguel Santiago (D-Los Angeles) and Assemblymember Eduardo Garcia.
