Select Committee on the Digital Divide in Rural California

Committee Purpose

This committee addresses the challenges rural Californians experience in obtaining, and in some cases maintaining, consistent levels of dependable telecommunication services.

Our livelihood has now become centered on digital communication that grants access to education, public resources, and public safety. But not all Californians have access to quality telecommunications services because of their economic status or a lack of infrastructure in their region.

Those without access to digital communications are not just left out, they find the digital divide widening as technology progresses. To reduce this digital divide, we will need political, technological, and unconstrained community-focused solutions.

Committee Goals

• Consider new solutions to establish a bold broadband vision for California.

• Target regions of digital desolation throughout the state.

• Form new, sustainable, public and private partnership models for funding, with long-term investment strategies.

• Build necessary infrastructure to remove barriers that hinder access to broadband across California.

Committee Membership

• Assemblymember Jim Wood (Chair)

• Assemblymember Brian Dahle

• Assemblymember Bill Dodd

• Assemblymember James Gallagher

• Assemblymember Eduardo Garcia

• Assemblymember Henry T. Perea

• Assemblymember Rudy Salas Jr.

Hearings

Assemblyman Wood Leads Second Broadband Hearing

December 14, 2015

   

Press Release:

• Assemblyman Wood Leads Second Broadband Hearing

Hearing Materials:

• Hearing Agenda

Assemblyman Wood Leads Broadband Fact-finding

October 27, 2015

   

Press Release:

• Assemblyman Wood Leads Broadband Fact-finding

Assemblyman Wood will serve as the chair of the “Select Committee on the Digital Divide in Rural California”

February 10, 2015

Press Release:

• Assemblyman Wood will serve as the chair of the “Select Committee on the Digital Divide in Rural California”

News Articles

• 11/09/15 - Legislators eye rural 'Digital Divide

Related Legislation

AB 1262 Telecommunications: universal service: California Advanced Services Fund
(Wood, 2015)

AB 238 Telecommunications: California Advanced Services Fund
(Stone, 2015)

AB 1299 Telecommunications: universal service programs: California Advanced Services Fund
(Bradford, 2013)

HR 4160  Rural Broadband Infrastructure Investment Act
(Huffman, 2015)

SB 740 Telecommunications: universal service programs: California Advanced Services Fund
(Padilla, 2013)

SB 1040 Telecommunications universal service programs: California Advanced Services Fund
(Padilla, 2010)

SB 1193 Telecommunications: universal service: California Advanced Services Fund
(Padilla, 2008)