Digital Equity & Empowerment
Digital Inclusion Fund Update
Jill Bourne, City Librarian
Abigail Shull, Broadband Officer
Ann Grabowski, Division Manager – Digital Equity 1
Recommendation
2 1. Accept the report from Neighborhood Services and Education Committee on December 8, 2022
2. Transfer fiscal management of the San José Digital Inclusion Fund Grant Program (Grant Program) from the California Emerging Technology Fund (CETF) to the San Jose Public Library Foundation (SJPLF), and
3. Adopt a resolution:
a. Authorizing the City Manager to negotiate and execute an agreement between the City and the SJPLF to manage small cell usage fee revenue allocations (from City to SJPLF), subject to appropriation of funds, and matching fundraising revenue to administer the funding of the Grant Program as fiscal agent from July 1, 2023, through June 30, 2029.
b. Authorizing a $500,000 payment from the Digital Inclusion Fund (DIF) to SJPLF to distribute grant awards pursuant to the City’s agreement with SJPLF.
Partners
3 Centering Equity
4 Priority Index is a ranking from 0 to
100 indicating the relative need
within a census tract for digital
access based on:
• Household income
• Households without access to
Broadband
A higher index value indicates a
greater need or higher priority.
55%
43%
2%
133 Census Tracts
Priority
Citywide Priority Breakdown
103 Census Tracts
High Priority
4 Census Tracts
Very High Priority
45% of City, measured by
census tracts, is very high and
high priority
2022-2023 Workplan
5 Hotspots in
circulation to
residents
~98%
8,031 Hotspots in
Use
Community Wi-Fi
6 attendance areas
operational (176k);
1 in final testing (10.7k);
1 in construction
Updated Needs
Assessment &
Evaluation
2,225 Chromebooks
& iPads in circulation
to residents
SJ311 Service Add
-
Outreach Campaign
SJ Access – Community Wi-Fi
6 James Lick 200 APs
Overfelt 200 Aps
Yerba Buena 200 APs 44,200 Households
Independence 340 APs ~ 176,800 residents
Andrew P Hill 200 APs
Oak Grove 243 APs
Mt Pleasant 200 APs - 2,678 Households
Silver Creek 200 APs ~ 10,700 residents
Current speed: up to 20 Mbps.
Currently scoping infrastructure changes to increase
speeds to 100/100 Mbps, Citywide.
Network Name: SJ Access Free Wi-Fi
Currently Serving: ~ 176,800 residents
Hotspots & Devices
Device Quantity Check-Out
Rate
Funding Source
Hotspot - Unfiltered 4,090 99% American Rescue Plan
Hotspot – Filtered 3,941 85% Emergency
Connectivity Fund
Wi-Fi Chromebook –
Unfiltered
600 80% General Fund (2021
purchases)
LTE Chromebook –
Filtered
1,500 75% Emergency
Connectivity Fund
Wi-Fi iPads 120 100% Grant Funded
Laptop Kits 35 100% Grant Funded
8,031 filtered and unfiltered hotspots, and 2,255
computing devices available at Library branches
Digital Inclusion Grant Program
8 • Digital Inclusion Fund
• Funded by fees paid by telecommunications companies to attach small-cells to City-owned streetlights
• Originally estimated to generate $32,000,000
• Pandemic and industry shifts have caused a reduction in revenue to the fund
• 55% decrease from original: Currently projected to generate $14,500,000 • Digital Inclusion Fund Grant Program
• Funding for CBO’s to help un/under connected households:
• Sign up for an affordable internet plan
• Access a computing device that they can keep
• Complete digital literacy trainings
• Originally estimated to offer $1M in grants per year
• Currently providing $500,000 in grants per year
Digital Inclusion Grant Program
9 2020 2021
2022
Awards: $787,750
Grantees: 21
Adoptions: 3,151
Awards: $393,750
Grantees: 9
Adoptions: 1,121
Awards: $752,500
Grantees: 13
Adoptions: 560
July -Dec
Awards: $2,784,223
Grantees: 30
Adoptions: 4,832
Cumulative
SCCOE: $1.39M for distance learning
Recommendation Rationale
10 • Technology changes and pandemic impacts has reduced revenue to the Digital Inclusion Fund
• Shift to the San Jose Public Library Foundation allows for:
• Greater sustainability of the Digital Inclusion Fund, preserving funding for future grant rounds
• Alignment to the City’s Council Policy 0-30 – Education & Digital Literacy Strategy, and alignment to the Digital Literacy Quality Standards
• Leverages the staffing and operational capabilities of the Library 2023-2024 Workplan
11 Support enrollment in the
Affordable Connectivity Program;
lessen reliance on City devices and
WiFi
Manage device
lending program
Operate and Optimize
8 Community WiFi areas
Identify any improvements needed
Seek all available State/Fed funding
Affordability Access Adoption
Administration & Management
Expand Library Digital Skillbuilding;
8 new pathways/training modules
Implement DIF Grant Program
Round 4 with SJPLF
Finalize Needs Assessment & Program Evaluation
State Digital Equity Plan Meeting
12 In Partnership with the Santa Clara County Office of Education & the County of Santa Clara:
SAVE THE DATE
State Digital Equity Plan Regional Meeting
Friday, May 5, 2023
10:00am – 2:30pm
Santa Clara County Office of Education
1290 Ridder Park Drive
Meeting Outcomes:
Identify challenges and strategies to overcome the digital divide in Santa Clara and San Mateo Counties, which will be included in the State Digital Equity Plan.
Recognition
13 Thank you to the Citywide Team that has carried this programmatic work forward:
(core team bolded)
DOT: Ho Nguyen, Brian Macias
Housing: Mindy Nguyen
ITD: Shirley Dương, Uarporn Nopmongcol, Ed Kim, Tommy Kuu Library: Karla Alvarez, Bobby Rodrock, Samantha Cramer, Yadirha Orozco-Lemus, Mike Lobach, Nancy Macias,
Moises Moreno, all Public Services staff
Public Works: Marlon DeLeon, Antonio Hueso, Mario De Leon Recognizing CETF
14 Thanks to CETF for their work to incubate the
Digital Inclusion Fund Grant Program in San Jose
Sunne McPeak
Charlene Tatis
15 Digital Equity & Empowerment
Digital Inclusion Fund Update
Jill Bourne, City Librarian
Abigail Shull, Broadband Officer
Ann Grabowski, Division Manager – Digital Equity