California’s Landmark “Internet for All Initiative” featuring CENIC’s Key Role Launches Marconi Society Webinar Series

Jun 13, 2023

The pandemic brought into stark relief the significant inequalities experienced by those with no, or inadequate, access to broadband connectivity. Those without adequate broadband access were cut off from engaging in education, work, health, and economic security as our homes became our workplaces, our schools, and even clinics for health care.

When images of children with laptops in parking lots, and workers scrambling to accommodate work from home dominated the news cycles, networking leaders who have long recognized the inequities of broadband access issued a clarion call to rectify what was now clear to all who were paying attention. That catalyzing report, titled The Minds We Need, was an effectively collaborative wake up call that has spurred action by public policy leaders.

As stated in its report, “We know that talent is everywhere, but opportunity is not. We know that R&E infrastructure is essential for our scientific and engineering talent to flourish. We propose that we invest in our R&E infrastructure, ensuring that it reaches every community through our diverse system of 3,900 accredited, degree-granting higher education institutions, and ensuring that there is a bridge to opportunity wherever there is talent. These are investments in inclusion, innovation, and competitiveness.”

Public Response to Network Equity Needs

Much as the government responded to the need for a nationwide electrical grid in the 1930s and 1940s, the federal and state governments have responded to this equity gap with a range of historic funding initiatives designed to extend network connectivity. There are currently 60 states and territories plus 574 Tribal Nations organizing plans to implement broadband access in unique geographic and demographic areas.

The Marconi Society recognizes this critical juncture as providing an important opportunity for regional and state networks to learn from the experiences and approaches taken by existing research and education networks to extend infrastructure.

Marconi Society Launches Webinar Series

Through its webinar series “A National Inflection Point: The Intersection of Research & Education Networks and Sustainable Digital Equity Initiatives”, the Marconi Society will feature state initiatives underway to share creative approaches to solving predictable challenges with extending R&E infrastructure beyond its legacy community of educational institutions.

The first workshop in the series focused on California’s effort. As the world’s fifth biggest economy, California’s policy leaders recognized the critical nature of broadband access and have invested in a $6.8 Billion digital equity initiative. That initiative is currently 20 months into the first component – the $3.8 Billion middle mile initiative, led by GoldenStateNet, a program of the Corporation for Education Network Initiatives in California (CENIC), a robust 27-year-old R&E network serving California schools, libraries, colleges, universities, health care institutions and tribes.

The May webinar workshop featured perspectives from community leaders with experience understanding digital inequities; policy leaders at the forefront of driving funding programs; and, those leading the California Middle Mile initiative as a core equity strategy. CENIC CEO Louis Fox served as moderator, providing a strong focus on the critical importance of the reach of the nation’s R&E broadband infrastructure to provide important access for all communities. As a key contributor to The Minds We Need initiative, Fox has long championed the expansion of R&E networks to unlock access to the global power of the knowledge and connections enabled through broadband.

Cal Poly Humboldt’s Executive Director of Initiatives Connie Stewart, Matthew Rantanen, Director of Technology for the Southern California Tribal Chairmen’s Association, and Kevin Harbour, Sr., President of the BizFed Institute opened the session with a focus on their experiences in overcoming barriers to access for communities historically underserved by the digital economy. That session was followed by policy presentations by Kim Lewis, who leads state government relations for CENIC and GoldenStateNet and Barbara Hayes, the chief economic development officer for the Rural County Representatives of California. Each has had recognized success in advocating for investments in the expansion of broadband.

Finally, Fox introduced those leading the middle mile work in California, GoldenStateNet’s VP of Infrastructure Erik Hunsinger, Tony Naughtin, GoldenStateNet’s President and Chief Operating Officer, and Sylvie Wong Cosgrove, Stanford University’s Executive Director for IT Infrastructure, representing an original community member of CENIC to speak to the progress of California’s Internet for All initiative.

All panelists noted the importance of collaboration in expanding network connectivity. “Everyone comes to the table with different experiences,” said technology leader and Tribal broadband accessibility advocate Matt Rantanen. “Partners need to manage expectations, leave egos at the door, and make sure that all efforts focus on the end goal rather than the individual perspectives. This only works if we’re all solving for the same goal.”

And that goal is to ensure all communities are well connected to avoid the risk, as stated by Rantanen, “What if the mind we need is the last mind connected?”

The Marconi Society offers a replay of the session on its site here, and a recap of the highlights here.

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