CAL MATTERS: Hot spots: Pandemic pushes California to bridge a digital divide

In Summary

The demands of social distancing have revealed the digital divide to be a chasm. California is partnering with Google to close it. Here's what that means.

For years, California lawmakers have bemoaned the digital divide. It has remained one of the most glaring of the state’s many inequalities: The cradle of the national tech economy is also home to so many unconnected and under-connected have-nots.

But uneven internet access has never seemed quite so pressing as it does now, when the demands of social distancing have revealed the digital divide to be a chasm. 

Earlier this week, Gov. Gavin Newsom announced Google will provide 100,000 free WiFi hotspots to serve California households in need, particularly families who have found themselves unexpectedly homeschooling their children for the remainder of the school year.

“To make sure that people are appropriately getting the resources and access to critical curriculum related to homeschooling, we needed some private sector support,” Newsom said. “Google stepped up in a big way.” (Read Full Text)