TITLE
Recommendation to approve the City of Long Beach Digital Inclusion Initiative’s Digital Inclusion Roadmap to ensure that everyone in Long Beach has equitable access and use of computer literacy training, the Internet, technology devices, and other digital inclusion resources. (Citywide)
DISCUSSION
On January 23, 2018, the City Council directed the City Manager to work with the Technology and Innovation Department (TI), Office of Civic Innovation (i-team), Library Services Department (LS), Office of Equity, and community stakeholders on a Digital Inclusion Master Plan. The agenda item included several recommendations to address the expansion of network infrastructure, economic development, and the preparation of a Digital Inclusion Roadmap (Roadmap) to provide Internet access to the community.
On March 19, 2019, the City Council approved one-times of $40,000 in TI from the First Council District Priority Funds to support the development of the Roadmap.
The Roadmap is one element of the City’s overarching Digital Inclusion Initiative (Initiative) that strives to ensure that everyone has equitable access and use of digital inclusion resources and services regardless of background, neighborhood, or identity. The Initiative complements the 10-year Blueprint for Economic Development (Blueprint) adopted by the City Council that offers several strategies for creating equitable economic opportunities for workers, investors, and entrepreneurs; as well as the Racial Equity and Reconciliation Initiative Initial Report that was adopted by the City Council on August 11, 2020. Specifically, the Initiative provides a roadmap for implementing multiple City Council-directed plans to increase access to information, services, and economic opportunities for low-income households.
The Technology and Innovation Commission (Commission) has been a critical partner in the development of the Roadmap including studying the digital divide in 2018 and making recommendations to ...
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