The Manager's report back on 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

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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 Coalition actively meeting and pursuing opportunities including

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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

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

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