Commentary Calls for a Better Connected California
California Competes Executive Director Dr. Su Jin Gatlin Jez has coauthored a commentary published by EdSource with ECMC Foundation President Peter J. Taylor that advocates for equitable access to high-speed internet throughout the state. Broadband access aligns with California Competes’s commitment to equity by ensuring that every Californian has the connectivity they need to pursue higher education and engage in an increasingly web-centered world.
Currently, access varies substantially with household income and geography. For example, just 68 percent of households earning less than $20,000 have broadband access. Further, internet service providers often skip more rural or seemingly less desirable areas entirely.
Research shows that internet access is lower among households whose members stand to benefit the most from online education—including those without a college degree. “If our state expects to buoy Californians through the pandemic and beyond, to engineer an equitable economic recovery, and to ensure a future of shared prosperity, this has to change now,” said Dr. Jez and Mr. Taylor.
Visit EdSource to read the entire commentary.
