San Diego begins work on first digital equity plan

San Diego has begun to provide an analysis of current broadband access which will then form the city’s first Broadband Master Plan.

The roadmap will recommend increase to access, adoption and affordability in identified locations, including in areas like San Ysidro where city data shows that over 40 percent of households do not have a broadband subscription.

Following a 2020 directive from City Council, the southern Californian city has been working towards making internet access more available for low-income households, including through programmes such as SD Access 4 All.

“The Broadband Master Plan is the next step in the process,” a spokesperson from the city’s IT Department told Cities Today. “As a city we understand the need to study current digital infrastructure to achieve greater access and affordability for broadband.”

The city looked closely at plans from New York and also neighbouring Los Angeles but will construct a tailored plan that considers San Diego’s unique geography and cultural landscape.

“Focus groups, neighbourhood engagement, internet access surveys and connectivity speed tests are some of the methods to gather data and understand residents and small businesses’ needs and experiences,” said the spokesperson. “We are in the process of working with stakeholders to develop a rubric to designate priority areas of the city using a variety of data sources including Ookla internet speed tests and the US Census.”

Additionally, the city believes the plan will better coordinate, leverage and implement state and federal broadband infrastructure investments and policy, and identify how city and public resources, including public-private partnerships, can be used to increase broadband access and affordability.

San Diego hopes to present the plan to its leadership by the end of the second quarter next year. The Broadband Master Plan is funded by a US$500,000 State of California Local Agency Technical Assistance Grant. CTC Technology and Energy has been selected to lead the planning process.

Dublin’s blueprint for urban connectivity

Similarily, Dublin – which together with Ookla and the City Telecoms Association – produced a first-of-its-kind study last month that uses crowdsourced data to show how cities can improve connectivity and tackle the digital divide.

The Irish capital worked with Ookla to leverage anonymised network data to identify gaps in telecoms infrastructure, particularly in underserved areas, giving Dublin valuable insights into mobile network performance, and enabling the city to make data-informed decisions to enhance digital inclusion.

To download a free copy of the report, see: https://institute.cities-today.com/report-a-data-driven-model-for-urban-connectivity 

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