CC - Item 6A - Digital Equity Letter of SupportROSEMEAD CITY COUNCIL
STAFF REPORT
TO: THE HONORABLE MAYOR AND CITY COUNCIL
FROM: BEN KIM, CITY MANAGER
DATE: JUNE 27, 2023
SUBJECT: DIGITAL EQUITY LETTER OF SUPPORT
SUMMARY
At the June 13, 2023, City Council Meeting, the City Council received a request from the Healing
& Justice Center to support their efforts to bridge the digital divide in Los Angeles County to
ensure low-income communities and communities of color have equal access to high-speed, low-
cost internet services. The City Council directed staff to place an item on the City Council agenda
to discuss and adopt a letter of support to address this concern (Attachment A). Therefore, it is
recommended that the City Council review the Digital Equity Letter of Support and provide
direction.
STAFF RECOMMENDATION
Staff recommends that the City Council discuss this item and provide direction.
FISCAL IMPACT
None.
STRATEGIC PLAN IMPACT
This item is consistent with the City of Rosemead's Strategic Plan Goal C - Infrastructure and
Facilities, which is to enhance streets, sidewalks, and public infrastructure; coordinate with
relevant utility agencies regarding safety and enhancements; and modernize facilities by expanding
the use of wireless network technology and renewable energy.
PUBLIC NOTICE PROCESS
This item has been noticed through the regular agenda notification process.
AGENDA ITEM 6.A
City Council Meeting
June 27, 2023
Page 2 of 2
Prepared by:
M tkl
Michael Bruckner
Assistant City Manager
Attachment A: Digital Equity — Support for Action Letter
Attachment A
Digital Equity — Support for Action Letter
MAYOR:
SEAN DANG
MAYORPROTEM:
STEVEN LY
COUNCIL MEMBERS:
SANDRA ARMENIA
MARGARET CLARK
Pouv Low
June 27, 2023
Supervisor Hilda Solis
856 Kenneth Hahn Hall of Administration
500 West Temple Street
Los Angeles, CA 90012
RE: Digital Equity — Support for Action
City of Wgsemead
8838 E. VALLEY BOULEVARD
ROSEMEAD, CALIFORNIA 91770
TELEPHONE (626) 569-2100
FAX (626) 307-9218
On behalf of the City of Rosemead, I write to share our frustration and concern that Los Angeles County's
Digital Divide is rooted in part in widespread underinvestment in broadband infrastructure in low-income
communities and communities of color, resulting in limited access to quality internet options with high
speeds at reasonable costs.
The Digital Equity LA Coalition supported by the California Community Foundation Digital Equity Initiative
documented what people were paying for home internet in diverse neighborhoods across Los Angeles
County. The finding raised significant red flags about the higher prices many in poorer communities were
being charged for the same or inferior service, and the implications of those pricing disparities on the
effectiveness of current interventions to close the digital divide. Cost was far and away the most
consistent reason provided by families without high-speed internet for why they were disconnected.
Last year, the City of Rosemead entered into an agreement with SiFi Networks to provide fiber -to -the -
premises (FTTP) broadband internet services to every property in the City, to address the digital divide in
Rosemead and breakthe internet service provider monopoly that exists in southern California. We believe
this will help lower barriers to entry and expand access while lowering costs to Rosemead residents and
businesses.
Considering the wide-ranging impacts on the digital divide on our residents' ability to thrive and the
disconcerting evidence in this report by the California Community Foundation — Digital Equity Los Angeles
— Slower and More Expensive, Sound this Alarm: Disparities in Advertised Pricing for Fast, Reliable
Broadband, we ask for you to lead a call to action to:
• Investigate and validate findings of potentially discriminatory disparities in advertised pricing.
• Make equal access (equal service and equal price, terms, and conditions) and truth in advertising
the policy of the State of California and the County of Los Angeles.
• Build equal access into State, County, and Local procurement practices.
• Support independent, community -driven options for broadband services.
In addition, we encourage you to collaborate with other supervisorial districts to deliver a five -signature
letter to the California Public Utilities Commission asking them to use their authority to investigate the
findings in this report as it impacts California consumers.