Awaiting Report Item Numbers 21-37 and 21-38, regarding digital equity

In April 2021, the City released Digital Equity in Cambridge: Data and Strategic Recommendations, the final report for the City’s comprehensive Digital Equity study. The report provides a complete and clear understanding of the problems and gaps preventing Cambridge residents from making the city's most effective and meaningful use of broadband (high speed internet access).

Additionally, the report suggests a range of solutions for the city to pursue to address the findings that emerged around broadband access, affordability, digital skills, and device ownership. Cambridge partnered with CTC Technology (CTC) to conduct the study. CTC is a nationally recognized firm that offers independent strategic, technical, and financial guidance primarily to public sector and nonprofit entities. The report will serve as the foundation for the city’s future Digital Equity and broadband initiatives.

CTC has helped develop Digital Equity strategies for other cities including Austin, Texas; Portland, Oregon; and Seattle, Washington. The study provides a range of recommended strategies to address the Digital Equity challenges within

Cambridge, including:

Convene a Digital Equity and inclusion coalition to guide implementation efforts; Expand the city’s $50,000 pilot program into a Digital Equity Fund emphasizing device and skills programs; Consider establishing a community Digital Equity specialist position or similar public support function; Engage local philanthropic organizations to broaden the reach of broadband equity initiatives; Partner with organizations that provide low-cost devices and training to Cambridge residents and expand loaner programs; Establish a digital skills training corps; Conduct a municipal broadband feasibility study that allows exploration of a variety of partnership and facilitation models; Facilitate the provision of additional providers of low-cost service in more CHA developments; Expand public Wi-Fi and charging stations in core areas, such as Porter and Central squares; and 2

Promote the new Emergency Broadband Benefit program to provide temporary relief on bills and purchases for eligible Cambridge residents. As the City Council is aware, the City of Cambridge undertook several specific actions to address emerging findings and issues in response to early study findings and challenges presented by the COVID- 19 pandemic.

These actions include: Launching a $50,000 pilot program to assist up to 415 families in obtaining $10 Internet Essentials subscriptions; Redirecting study resources that allowed CTC to conduct a preliminary high-level engineering and cost estimation work for high-speed residential broadband service in three CHA developments: Newtowne Court, Washington Elms, and the Manning Apartments; Engaging in preliminary discussions with business associations and Life Science Cares, a nonprofit organization that funds anti-poverty programs to begin discussions on expressed interest in being part of a public-private partnership to address digital inequities; Accelerating the Cambridge Public Schools laptop and hotspot provision efforts, providing all students with laptops and (where needed) hotspots, and commencing a first-ever technology lending program at the Cambridge Public Library; and Partnering with the Cambridge Public Library, the MetroNorth Regional Employment Board, and Cambridge Community Foundation to provide essential technology, including Chromebooks, hotspots, and webcams, to adult learners participating in Cambridge Community Learning Center programs.

Since the release of the findings, City staff have been engaged in various activities and planning efforts to begin implementing the recommendations. Ongoing initiatives and work to date focus on the development, explanation, and enhancement of key community-focused services and programs to address Digital Equity, including: Funding and distribution of hotspots to provide internet access.

Over 270 hotspots made available through Cambridge Public Library (CPL) branches, the Cambridge Learning Center (CLC), and various community partners. Over 500 hotspots distributed by the Cambridge Public Schools (CPS) Funding and promotion of City’s no-cost Internet Essentials (IE) pilot program. City, Schools, and Cambridge Housing Authority (CHA) staff regularly meet Comcast to ensure that the IE program is responsive to Cambridge community needs.

CPS conducted outreach via email, letters, and CPS Family Engagement team and trained all Family Liaisons to support the IE program. Promoting the Emergency Broadband Benefit (EBB) program. Promotional efforts have included information on the City’s website and in Citywide print mailings, daily email updates, and social media to encourage eligible households to receive up to $50 per month toward broadband service and a one-time discount of up to $100 to purchase a laptop, desktop computer, or tablet.

Applying for and CPS being awarded Emergency Connectivity Funding (ECF) for up to 500 students to receive either hotspots or IE connections, including: $149,750 to cover Comcast installations for families with CPS students. $75,000 to cover hot spot costs for families with CPS students. 3

Effort under way to ensure billing and costs are transitioned to ECF funding. Distributing and funding of computing devices including providing 65 standalone Chromebooks and 41 Chromebook + hotspot bundles via the CPL loan program. Strengthening and expanding internet access in public open spaces and buildings including: Adding capacity to provide higher speeds and reliable connectivity to more users.

Creating interactive and more informative maps and lists of Cambridge Public Internet (CPI) locations on the City website. Working with local nonprofits and Comcast representatives to identify community spaces suitable for free internet access via the Comcast Lift Zones program.

Facilitating ongoing meetings between the City Manager’s office and Information Technology, Human Services, Community Development, Library, and School Departments’ staff to design and coordinate Digital Equity activities that complement and coordinate with other equity and outreach efforts across the City.

Convening regular meetings with CHA to develop and support digital initiatives including: Flushing out implementation details for the June 2021 CTC engineering report and preliminary high-level capital and operating cost estimates for installing the necessary infrastructure to support an option for high-speed wired broadband service at one or more of 3 CHA sites CHA sites that was conducted by the City (Appendix A). Service provider and business model decisions still need to be determined.