The pandemic brought disparities in our communities to the forefront, particularly the digital divide. An estimated 8% of SBC residents have no internet access, and others cannot afford reliable digital access. This situation limits access to education, healthcare, and job opportunities. For instance, students without internet access struggle to participate in online classes, and job seekers without digital skills find it difficult to apply for jobs. This issue disproportionately affects People of Color, Indigenous Peoples, low-income households, people with disabilities, those in rural areas, and older adults, further widening existing inequalities.
The Santa Barbara Foundation serves as the primary convener of the Digital Equity Coalition, other partners include the BCPC and around seventy representatives across sectors representing education and information services, health services, public housing, governance, and community resilience organizations. The Santa Barbara County Digital Equity Coalition (DEC) works to close the digital divide across all communities in the county by aligning resources and establishing partnerships. The DEC’s key objectives are affordability and adoption, device access, digital literacy, technology support, empowering digital equity content, and countywide leadership.
As part of a larger statewide and national conversation, the Coalition assesses and analyzes local actions and initiatives to address the digital divide, coordinating with regional and statewide digital equity efforts. The goal is to strategically position SBC to be eligible for state and federal dollars earmarked to increase digital equity.
In June 2023, the Santa Barbara Foundation collaborated with the Economic Development Collaborative (EDC), the California Department of Technology (CDT), and the California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) to host a region-wide workshop for the State. The workshop’s goal was to gather input for the development of the State Digital Equity Plan (SDEP) and the Broadband Equity, Access, and Deployment (BEAD) Five-Year Action Plan. Both plans aim to ensure that SBC meets California’s broadband goals.
More than one hundred people from the tri-counties (SLO, SB, Ventura) attended the SDEP/BEAD event at the Santa Maria Veterans Memorial Community Center. Due to the DEC’s coordination and leadership, most SDEP/BEAD workshop participants were from Santa Barbara County. The purpose of the event was to learn about California’s SDEP and BEAD Plans. Attendees participated in working sessions, providing state officials with feedback on shaping the priorities for the $42.45B BEAD funding program. The event helped to determine how the state allocated federal dollars to address digital inequity in the tri-counties.
California Broadband Goals
In September 2023, the Santa Barbara Foundation submitted a letter of support for the Digital Equity Bill of Rights (CA AB414), which Governor Newsom subsequently signed into law, making California the first state to recognize digital access as a civil right and leading the nation as a champion for digitally disadvantaged communities and unconnected households.
In December 2023, the state released the draft State Digital Equity Plan (SDEP) for public comment. The purpose of the plan is to position our state for federal funding allocation. The Santa Barbara Foundation spearheaded the DEC review process and submitted a public comment on behalf of the DEC. The Santa Barbara Foundation also encouraged other DEC members to submit public comment.
The DEC collaborated with partners to support the Affordable Connectivity Program enrollment for SBC residents to receive discounts on their internet services, which resulted in SBC having an ACP enrollment of approximately 67% in December 2023. The DEC also supported efforts for additional ACP funding and program options to assist low-income households to afford and access the internet.
As part of the Workforce Development focus area grants, SBF awarded $57,500 to FSA to conduct a north county survey of the City of Guadalupe’s broadband needs for households and businesses. The survey aimed to identify areas where broadband is lacking, to prioritize those areas, and ensure everyone has the tools they need to succeed. By training local digital navigators, the city can improve equity and promote access to broadband. This pilot program may also serve as a model for other cities in Santa Barbara County to follow in planning similar projects. The final report will be published on our Reports page.
If you are interested in contributing to digital equity solutions, we welcome your partnership and appreciate your support.
Make a GiftContact our team to help you with your specific needs.
Santa Barbara Foundation LOGO
