What's at stake?
Dozens of rural Fresno County residents on Wednesday called on state leaders to invest more in local broadband internet access.
Dozens of rural Fresno County residents spoke out Wednesday, urging California leaders to address the “urgent need for investment” in local broadband internet access.
“We want, and we need broadband of the highest quality,” said Martha Sanchez, a resident of Selma. “It’s not a luxury anymore; it’s become a necessity.”
Sanchez and others gathered at Washington Union High School in Easton as part of a “digital access conference.” The event included Assemblymember Dr. Joaquin Arambula, the Children’s Movement of Fresno, and All Children Thrive.
Broadband internet access in communities like Easton remains slow and expensive.
Speakers at the events said connectivity issues hamper students, teachers, and business owners.
Broadband internet access in Fresno faces funding challenges
Funding remains one of the largest roadblocks to achieving digital equity.
Some fear the state’s forthcoming Digital Equity Plan won’t reflect the challenges in Fresno County.
In fact, Mike Espinoza, the executive director of The Children’s Movement of Fresno, said funding issues could get worse.
Espinoza said the California Department of Technology relies on maps from the Federal Communications Commission that are “flawed” and “incomplete.”
“We know that the State’s Digital Equity Plan will outline its planned investments by county,” Espinoza said. “Though we fear that the state’s overreliance on the incomplete FCC/CPUC data will motivate them to avoid investing in Fresno’s digital infrastructure.”
Additionally, Wednesday’s gathering came just a day before the Fresno City Council is expected to vote on a resolution to “foster equality for Fresno residents and bolster resources for upward mobility.”
Arambula promised to stand by the affected communities and push for a solution at the state capitol.
“For us to build a stronger future, we need to be listening to residents to address those digital divides and inequities head on,” Arambula. “We need to make sure that every one of our residents feels that ability to connect to internet that’s high speed and that works to address the issues that our economy demands.”
