The City and County of San Francisco is working to to ensure that all residents can access the Internet to improve their lives.
The Department of Technology has programs to provide free internet, access to computers, support and training and relevant content and applications to our most underserved residents, to ensure that all residents can benefit from the Internet.
Why did this initiative get created?
A significant portion over one-third of City residents and 70% of low income residents lacked Internet access at home. In his first State of the City address, Mayor Newsom made a commitment to address the City's digital divide and improve the City's technology access. In addition to addressing the digital divide, this initiative will also promote innovative new applications, strengthen the City's economy and improve City services.
What happened to the wireless initiative and proposed public private partnership with Earthlink?
A tentative agreement with EarthLink was signed by the Mayor in January 2007, and by the Public Utilities Commission and Planning Department in April 2007, but the proposal ultimately was withdrawn in August 2007 after EarthLink underwent a corporate reorganization and informed the City that it no longer had an interest in building the network under the terms of the original agreement. EarthLink has not participated in further discussions with the City, and the company's CEO, Rolla Huff, has stated publicly that the company will construct no new municipal networks without a substantial financial contribution from the municipality.
What is the Fiber Study?
In 2004, the San Francisco Board of Supervisors adopted a resolution to study the feasibility of owning and operating fiber optics facilities. The City commissioned Columbia Telecommunications Corporation ("CTC") to develop Fiber Optics for Government and Public Broadband: A Feasibility Study, issued in draft form in January 2007.
Is there a digital divide in San Francisco? Isn't Internet available everywhere?
Although the City enjoys a well-established and justifiable reputation for being a center of technological innovation, San Francisco has a significant digital divide with deep digital disparities by race, gender, education, and income. Low income families, seniors, women, and people of color are less likely to have internet access or a computer in their home. Limited English speakers and disabled residents are much less likely to have internet or computer access in their home
Closing the digital divide closes other divides such as education, health care, and economic. Young people with internet access and a computer are more likely to stay in school. An increasing number of Americans access health care information over the internet. The level of technological knowledge and skills correspond to better paying jobs.
What are the technology needs of underserved communities? Who are these communities?
The City defines underserved as those communities least likely to have home computer and Internet access. This includes San Francisco's low-income residents and families, limited English speaking and disabled populations.
In order to benefit from internet access, these communities need access to hardware and internet devices, skills to use the technology, and culturally relevant and accessible content that's relevant to their needs and interests.
How is the City addressing these needs?
The City's strategy includes provision of free broadband Internet access in San Francisco's major public housing sites; programs to promote computer ownership and access; building capacity of community based technology training and support programs; engaging technology volunteers to fix computers, deploy computer labs and networks and train residents; increasing availability of relevant Internet content and applications.
The City partners with existing government, educational, nonprofit and private resources and programs to execute its digital inclusion strategy. The City does not seek to reinvent existing digital inclusion programs; rather seeks to empower underserved residents by connecting them with available resources.
Have community members been involved in creating these strategies?
DT formed the Digital Inclusion Community Task Force consisting of community leaders who represent community-based, nonprofit and philanthropic organizations as well as local businesses. Over a series of public monthly meetings, the Task Force outlined the technology needs of the City's underserved communities and existing community resources. The Task Force's input was integrated into the City's digital inclusion vision. In response, DTIS developed the proposed strategies outlined in the Digital Inclusion document to fulfill this vision.
The City continues to go directly to communities to find out their needs and aspirations - meeting with community leaders, speaking at community and neighborhood events, and holding workshops.
