A communication transmitted from Yi-An Huang, City Manager, relative to Awaiting Report Item Number 23-82, regarding an update on Municipal Broadband and Digital Equity

INTRODUCTION This is an update on Municipal Broadband and Digital Equity progress in Cambridge. Several departments and collaborating organizations have formed a Digital Equity coalition to ensure that all Cambridge residents have opportunities to access technology and related learning and skills building opportunities. Our collective efforts have focused on serving vulnerable and marginalized community members—those community members who face barriers to accessing technology and learning how to use technology to improve their lives. MUNICIPAL BROADBAND The City released Municipal Broadband in Cambridge: Feasibility and Business Model Options, in March 2023. The report examines the feasibility of implementing a municipal fiber-to-the-premises (FTTP) service, providing a design and cost estimate and a range of business and financial models for building, operating, and providing service to all premises in Cambridge. The report included several key findings: • Constructing an FTTP network to reach all 52,300 residences and businesses in Cambridge would cost an estimated $124 million to $161 million in 2022 dollars or $149 million to $194 million when considering inflation. • A citywide FTTP network would likely require a significant capital contribution to be financially feasible, including a $150 million upfront City contribution, based on relatively conservative assumptions, including that 40 percent of premises subscribe. • There are several business models that the City could explore, each impacting Cambridge’s contribution differently depending on the type of partnership and a variety of business factors. • Once the City reaches a decision to move forward on exploring a specific option, there is 18 to 24 months of key activities and decision points before the City would formally decide to execute a specific implementation project. • There are a number of benefits to creating a city-owned municipal broadband network, including greater competition, significantly faster speeds that would provide digital infrastructure for future innovation, and the ability to protect important policy goals like data privacy and net neutrality Following the report’s publication and a March 13, 2023, City Council roundtable discussion, the City Manager’s Office and Finance and Information Technology teams have analyzed proposed models, costs, and funding mechanisms to inform additional consulting work and recommendations. • However, the substantial potential capital investment needs to be weighed in the context of other capital commitments, investment expectations, and borrowing capacity. Given the multitude of Council priorities, a clearer process of prioritizing and sequencing capital initiatives is needed across school buildings, municipal buildings, decarbonization efforts aligned to the amended BEUDO

2 ordinance, water/sewer and street infrastructure, and strategic initiatives such as developing municipally owned lots for public use. • Municipal broadband therefore needs to be discussed as part of the FY25 and beyond capital plan in the context of the overall budget • City leadership will work to develop a framework for decision-making and seek input from the Council and this will be a critical process before devoting resources into further consultation, market sounding, or RFI scoping DIGITAL EQUITY Vision Inspired by our vision in which everyone has equitable opportunities to learn and thrive, Digital Equity means a Cambridge where everyone has equitable digital opportunities. COVID-19 put a spotlight on the technology inequities in our community, and in particular, the need to support vulnerable and marginalized community members, immigrants, and those with low technical literacy, as well as offering stepped learning to develop higher level skills. Individuals who previously relied on schools, places of work, and libraries for computer and internet connection frequently lost those critical access points, and many more lost the means to secure these resources at home. Technology classes often cost thousands of dollars to take, which is out of reach for so many community members. The City of Cambridge and the Cambridge Public Library (CPL) are building on their digital equity work and expanding Digital Equity learning opportunities for the Cambridge community to address these barriers. In addition to partnering with local nonprofits on existing programs and new initiatives, the commitment to digital equity is also reflected in the City’s budget with two new Library positions and one new Information Technology Department (ITD) role. Since late 2022, we have been assessing the needs of residents and library patrons and determining steps to implement innovations related to digital equity in partnership with nonprofits, schools, and other community partners. Our objective is to prioritize innovation programs so that community members have the information technology capacity and support they require for full participation in 21st-century life. This has included convening a digital equity and inclusion coalition to guide digital equity efforts across the City. Citywide Priorities Based on the City’s Digital Equity in Cambridge Report recommendations from March 2021, the City Departments, CPL, Cambridge Public School District (CPSD) and local nonprofit organizations have been partnering to build upon existing programs, jointly pursue opportunities, and develop new services to better serve Cambridge residents. Key efforts are highlighted below per report recommendations: Report recommendation Status Efforts to date Convene a digital equity and inclusion coalition to guide implementation efforts Ongoing Coalition actively meeting and pursuing opportunities including

3 recently awarded Mass. Broadband Institute (MBI) funding Expand the city’s $50,000 pilot program into a Digital Equity Fund emphasizing device and skills programs Planned The City Manager’s Office, IT, Finance and Law are exploring options to establish a Digital Equity Fund Consider establishing a community digital equity specialist position or similar public support function Complete CPL and ITD have established and budgeted for digital equity roles in their organizations Engage local philanthropic organizations to broaden the reach of broadband equity initiatives Planned Discussions are exploring areas of mutual interest and availability of resources and funding for key programs Partner with organizations that provide low- cost devices and training to Cambridge residents and expand loaner programs Ongoing In addition to CPL and CPSD programs, the City is working with Cambridge Community Television (CCTV), Cambridge Housing Authority (CHA), and Just-A-Start on new and existing programs Establish a digital skills training corps Ongoing A Digital Navigators pilot program has been developed by ITD, CPL, CPSD, CCTV, and Just-A-Start with anticipated MBI and American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funding Conduct a municipal broadband feasibility study that allows exploration of a variety of partnership and facilitation models Completed The City’s municipal broadband study was published in March 2023 with next steps currently under development Facilitate the provision of additional providers of low-cost service in more CHA developments Completed CHA contracted with Starry Internet, providing broadband services to most residential units Expand public Wi-Fi and charging stations in core areas Ongoing Additional locations have been added with more expansion in the works Promote the new Emergency Broadband Benefit program to provide relief for eligible residents on bills and purchases Ongoing Program his being promoted by CPSD, CPL, and City as well as by low- income housing providers and ISPs As the coalition convened and discussed access and skills-building, it became clear that it made sense to build on the digital equity work that our public libraries already offered. The Cambridge’s Public Library (CPL) welcomes everyone, its services are rooted in equity, and its staff are dedicated to teaching and learning. Staff collaborates with schools, nonprofits, senior centers, housing/facilities groups and others who are also running/launching digital equity initiatives and the STEAM programs. Additionally, the public libraries offer 354 hours of service per week across its locations including after-school, evenings and weekends, circulates learning technologies across all branches, and has a state-of-the art makerspace at the Main Library. As an access amplifier and environment-rich learning place open to everyone, CPL has the infrastructure to both provide and deepen the Cambridge community’s access to and understanding of how to use technology and to develop related career pathways.

4 Citywide Program Work Digital Navigators Program (DNP) Pilot A collaborative effort between City of Cambridge IT, Cambridge Public Library, Cambridge Public School Department, Just-A-Start, and CCTV to be funded by Mass Broadband Institute and ARPA in partnership with MassHire. A Cambridge DNP will provide ARPA-eligible beneficiaries with effective outreach, education, and ACP adoption assistance. Navigators will also be trained to connect residents to a wide array of social service supports as they come to know the needs of families they serve. CCTV and Just-A-Start, essential partners with aligned missions and goals, are part of a regional proposal to the Mass Broadband Institute to secure funding to support Digital Navigators (DN) in their organizations; CCTV will also employ a coordinator as part of that project who will both serve residents and coordinate the DNs across partners to build community, skills and consistency in DN supports for residents. Program activities include: • Hire and train digital navigators to be placed in Cambridge Public Library and Cambridge Public Schools to work in partnership with navigators at CCTV and Just-A-Start. • Coordinate meetings for navigators across the city to share best practices, challenging cases, and community resources. This will be in alignment with regional efforts supported through the MBI Digital Navigator coalition. • Ensure that data is collected on all residents served through the program and that ARPA eligibility is established. • Support navigators in providing a menu of supports and services to low-income residents, including: identifying and assessing individuals’ digital needs; assisting residents to sign up with low-cost internet providers and enroll qualified residents in the Affordable Connectivity Program; trouble- shooting connectivity issues in residents’ apartments; connecting residents to free/low-cost computers, hot spots, or related equipment; assisting residents in setting up a computer, tablet or other devices for home use; tracking individual residents’ progress and types of requests, and keeping accurate and timely records. • Report quarterly on activities provided through the program and document lessons learned that would support replication. CHA FTTP Pilot Project The Cambridge Housing Authority (CHA) and the City of Cambridge (the “City”) intend to increase the affordability and quality of broadband access by facilitating competitive wired broadband service options to low-income residents of the City. The goal of project is to provide the necessary infrastructure to support a competing option for high-speed wired broadband service at three CHA sites: the Frank J. Manning elderly housing high-rise in Central Square and the Washington Elms and Newtowne Court apartment complexes. The City and CHA are working closely with MIT, who is anticipated to provide dark fiber infrastructure following on prior generous support for Cambridge Digital Equity initiatives. Danehy Park Public WiFi Project While many public buildings and parks across the City offer public wi-fi internet access, one of the largest most utilized parks in the City, Danehy Park, has proven difficult given its isolated location and lack of nearby City buildings and infrastructure. This ARPA funded project aims to provide internet access in key high traffic areas to be developed in conjunction with the newly planned Sports Pavilion

5 building onsite. While waste mitigation issues caused some delays, planning and construction is expected to resume in the coming months. Digital Equity Fund As noted in the table of Digital Equity Report recommendations, the City is exploring options to establish a Digital Equity Fund. While the structure, logistics, and governance for the fund is under development, the City is pleased to report that initial funding has been identified to support digital equity. As part of the recently concluded cable television license renewal process, the City negotiated a one-time $312,000 contribution from Comcast that will be directed to support the City’s digital equity efforts. Cambridge Public Library Program Work CPL is prioritizing support and engagement for the following recommendations listed in the Digital Equity in Cambridge report: Recommendation Status Efforts to date Participate in the City’s digital equity and inclusion coalition to guide implementation efforts Ongoing Actively meeting with the coalition Planning for digital equity specialist positions at CPL In process Hired a Digital Equity Manager. In the process of recruiting a Digital Equity Coordinator Engage local philanthropic organizations to broaden the reach of broadband equity initiatives (I.e., CPL Foundation & Friends) Completed Received supplemental funding for circulating Wi-Fi Hotspots from Friends Partner with organizations that provide low-cost devices and training to City residents and to expand loaner & promoting affordable connectivity programs In process Engaged with the Community Learning Center (CLC), CCTV, and Federal Affordable Connectivity Program Build onto our digital skills training offerings and develop learning curriculum and program at the library In process Launched drop in 1-1 Tech Help and technology classes Work with City IT to explore expanding public Wi-Fi outside of the Valente and O’Neill branches (and branches that don’t have external provision) Completed Completed project to extend public Wi-Fi network outside O’Connell Branch Planning Since late fall 2022, the planning team created a Digital Equity white paper for services at the Cambridge Public Library, coordinated with Cambridge Continuum of Care (CoC) and attended the Digital Equity Advisory Group, launched a patron survey to discover what patrons want and need for tech learning opportunities and collected responses, hired a Digital Equity Manager, Sarah Yasuda, and outlined four

6 key areas of focus and responsibility: Strategy & Planning, Digital Equity & Operations, Programming and Training, and Community Engagement. The team created a Learner Roadmap for basic computer classes; created a Fall Course calendar and monthly flyers with descriptions; created an Introduction to Affordable Connectivity Program ACP Intro and staff trainings on ACP. They also researched assessment and outcome-tracking tools and approaches to measure our impact. The team is also collecting data on tech literacy needs of patrons from front line staff via an online form and collected data from 40 tech class learners via a learner feedback form. Learning about how to use mobile devices, job searching, creating documents and spreadsheets and accessing online information were noted areas of interest. Learners were interested in all times of the day except less frequent requests for Saturday afternoon classes. Most wanted more practice, and then growing skills, versus getting started. Programming and Training for Skills Development The Library now offers Basic Tech Classes on a monthly-basis, offers 1-1 Tech Help at three branch locations with plans for expansion, and offers ACP information sessions and sign-up help. The Digital Equity Manager held 15 small class design Basic Tech Classes in September and October for 67 learners. Class offerings included three levels: Get Started: Mouse & Keyboard; Email Basics; Internet Basics; Google Sheets Basics; More Practice: Email Tips & Tricks; Google Docs Tips & Tricks; Internet Safety; and Grow Your Skills: Intro to Library e-Resources; Intro to LinkedIn Learning; and Create Resumes with Google Docs. Reasons learners attended tech classes included that they were: looking for tech skills to go back to the workforce after retirement; seeking in-person technology classes in a welcoming, learning environment; wanting to learn the necessary tech skills to go back to school; looking for a new job and wanting to build their technology skills and that they were recently hired for a new job and needing to learn technology skills expected on the job. We also expanded tech class offerings at branch locations. The team created training documentation and curriculum resources for staff instructors and collected the aforementioned learner feedback surveys to assess the direction of Basic Tech Classes. Additionally, we held 1-1 Tech Help for patrons at multiple branch locations, offering appointments and drop-in options. And we held ACP Information Sessions and Sign-up Help in collaboration with Comcast's Community Impact Team. The team also created learning resources for staff and patrons and trained the Adult Services team for patron sign-up help. 1-1 Tech Help From July-October 2023 staff hosted 56 Tech Help Sessions for 142 patrons across three libraries. Sixteen sessions were held at the Main Library for 80 by appointment. At Central Square we hosted 12 drop-in sessions for 57 patrons and seven sessions for patrons by appointment, at Boudreau Branch we hosted 5 Bi-weekly, by appointment. Through 1-1 Tech Help sessions we are building a community of Tech Help regulars. These are motivated and active learners looking to build tech skills. We are meeting patrons where they are in their learning journey. Participants often want to learn tech skills that are necessary to participate in civic life.

7 Free Devices and Support • We circulate Chromebooks, hotspots, portable DVD players, GoPro cameras, computer accessories and provide printers and scanners across all our libraries. We also provide laser printers, 3-D printers, AV/VR, MacBooks, a heat press, soldering irons, and sewing machines through our makerspace. For a full list, please see Appendix at the bottom of this document. The Digital Equity team works shifts at CPL’s Tech Bar desk to check in with staff, stay connected to patrons, and assess takeout technology service point and device assessment. Communications, Community Engagement and Collaboration We have ongoing communications to staff about all Digital Equity activities many of which are posted on a created Teams channel, the Digital Equity Manager and colleagues have outreached/connected with City Departments, others including the Community Engagement Team, CCTV, Community Learning Center, Harvard Institute for Learning in Retirement (HILR), NDIA, and Somerville & Cambridge Elder Services. • The Digital Equity manager worked with the City’s Language Access Manager to review course booklets for Basic Tech Classes, making sure class descriptions and course design follow plain language guidelines. They translated ACP info session and sign-up help flyers into main target languages and provided options to request language interpreters for ACP info sessions and ACP sign-up help. And they are currently discussing options to translate general tech class flyers. • There has been extensive outreach to promote ACP information sessions working with City departments and community organizations. The Digital Equity Manager organized and led a presentation for the Community Engagement Team to talk about ACP, the information session, and sign-up help. • The team organized multiple tabling events at the Community Learning Center to promote the ACP program and Basic Tech Classes. And are planning virtual and in-person class visits to share library resources to support tech literacy. • The team piloted Tech Help and Social Work drop-ins at the Central Square Branch to provide tech support for patrons accessing social services. They brainstormed outreach for faith-based communities to provide technology and social service support. • The team connected with Housing Case Manager at the Housing and Multi-Service Center to start discussions on how to connect people who need technology support when accessing housing resources. • The Digital Equity manager is having ongoing discussions with Somerville-Cambridge Elder Services on ACP and tech literacy needs. There is a potential collaboration to provide tech literacy program for tablet users with Somerville-Cambridge Elder Services. • We are actively cross-promoting resources and programs for CCTV and library learners. We are planning "guest speaker" collaborations to cross promote resources for tech learners. Next Steps In late 2023 into 2024, we will expand Basic Tech Classes to Library branch locations and onboard staff as instructors. We are planning AI workshops in collaboration with Matt Landry from CPSD. We are coordinating efforts for Tech Goes Home across Library branch locations and collaborating with CLC to incorporate language levels for tech classes. Additionally, we are exploring a potential collaboration in 2024 with the Berkman Klein Center for Internet & Society on ChatGPT and AI. We will continue assessing technology needs for programs and Takeout Tech and expand device options for digital literacy

8 programs. We will also create a digital equity webpage presence that City partners can link to promote updates to the Cambridge community. Our long-term plans include tech literacy programming focused on workforce development. We will work with external instructors and facilitators to expand Digital Equity offerings. We will continue building strategic framework and build capacity for sustainable programs. Conclusion A significant amount of work has been done by City partners on deepening and broadening access to technology and learning opportunities for the Cambridge community, especially for residents who face barriers to access. Through the coalition of partners passionate about, and working together on digital equity, a lot of intentionality has taken place toward planning, outreach, curriculum design and piloting classes, workshops, and drop-in-learning opportunities. Through this coalition and our collective efforts, we are deepening our digital equity impact by improving access to technology for patrons and through the provision of classes, drop-in-assistance, and consultations; we are building out a learning platform and a vibrant community for skills-building and career pathways. We hope that our efforts will help to close the digital divide and level the playing field for Cambridge residents who have been left out of opportunities due to the inability to leverage technology to further their career and life goals. Very truly yours, Yi-An Huang City Manager

9 Appendix Technologies and learning equipment available at the Cambridge Public Library Circulating technologies: • Chromebooks (mix of Acer 514, Acer 311, Acer Spin 513, Acer 14, Acer 15, and Asus Flip 302): 130 circulating to patrons • Hotspots: 120 circulating to patrons • Portable DVD Player • GoPro Hero 8, a digital video camera designed for recording action while being immersed in it. • Computer mice • USB to USB-C adapters • Phone/device chargers • Laptop chargers Equipment available for Patrons across our libraries: • Total # Printers accessible to patrons: 14 • Total # Scanning stations accessible to patrons: 10 Breakdown by location: • Boudreau: 1 printer and 1 scanner • Central Square: 2 printers and 1 scanner on ground floor; 1 printer upstairs in Children's • Collins: 1 Printer with scanning features (scan to email, scan to USB, and copies) • Main: 6 printers (4 in Tech Bar, 1 on second floor) + 1 printer with the Braille Embosser; 4 scanners (scanner on ground floor, 2nd floor + 2 in Cambridge Room) • O'Connell: 1 printer and 1 scanner • O'Neill: 1 printer and 1 scanner • Valente: 1 printer and 1 scanner Equipment available for Patrons to use inside of the Hive Library Makerspace: • 11 Sewing Machines • 1 Serger • 1 Embroidery Machine • 1 Vinyl Cutter • 2 Cricuts • 1 Heat press • 3 Clothing Irons • 3 Soldering Irons • 1 Dremel • 6 Button Makers • 2 Laser Cutters • 4 FDM 3D Printers • 1 SLA 3D Printer • 1 AR Headset • 1 VR Headset

10 • 18 Chromebooks • 11 MacBooks • 2 Cameras • 3 Portable Lights • 2 Scarlett Audio Interfaces • Variety of stationary and handheld microphones Internally Circulating Tech via the Hive: • 6 Pixel Phones & Merge Headsets/Cube • 8 Button Makers • 18 Bee-Bots/Blue-Bots • 24 3Doodler Pens • 15 Micro-Bit Computers • 12 Makey Makey Invention Kits • 15 Binoculars • 10 Children's Binoculars • 1 portable Green Screen • LittleBits invention kits • 8 Sewing Machines (circulating early 2024)