Accelerate Digital Equity

INTERNAL SERVICES DEPT

County Spending Category
1.4 Digital Divide
Federal Expenditure Category
Household Assistance: Internet Access Programs
Project Launch Date
09/30/2024
Anticipated End Date
12/31/2026
Interpretation Languages
  • Spanish
Written Languages
  • Armenian
  • Cambodian (Khmer)
  • Farsi
  • Korean
  • Russian
  • Spanish
  • Tagalog/Filipino
  • Thai
  • Traditional Chinese
  • Simplified Chinese
  • Vietnamese
  • Arabic
  • Hindi
  • Japanese
Project Contacts Indicators & Metrics Target Populations Project Description Goals & Objectives

Project Contacts

Indicators & Metrics to Date

  • Meetings within each Supervisorial district and its stakeholders.
    29
  • Make public announcement of the proposed project areas selected.
    3
  • Create all documents related to the technical scope of work for each project.
    4
  • Number of Households Served
    0
  • Total number of funded locations served - Residential
    0
  • Total number of funded locations served - Business
    0
  • Total number of funded locations served - Community anchor institution
    0
  • Total number of funded locations receiving minimum 100/100 Mbps
    0
  • Total number of funded locations receiving minimum 100/20 Mbps and scalable to minimum 100/100 Mbps
    0
  • Release Work Order Solicitations for Service Areas
    3
  • Number of contracts negotiated
    0
  • Number of Work Order Solicitations evaluated
    3
  • Number of MOU's executed
    8
  • Gain Supervisorial District and participating city/cities approvals for Project Area
    8
  • Develop announcement strategy for each supervisorial district.
    3
  • Number of households receiving laptop computers
    0
  • Number of laptops competitively solicited
    0
  • Number of laptops purchased
    0
  • Adjusted target number of laptops to be distributed
    0
  • Number of laptops distributed to qualifying households
    0
  • Number of ACP-eligible households served by the CBN
    0
  • Total miles of fiber deployed (Planned/Actual)
    0
  • Numbers of homes passes (wireline) or within range (fixed wireless)
    0
  • Construction costs (Planned/Actual)
    0
  • Percentage of customer service requests within target
    0
  • Percentage of customer satisfaction data within target
    0
  • Percentage of service performance data (e.g. speed, latency, uptime) within target
    0
  • Add detailed performance requirements in solicitation and contract documents
    5
  • Number of "Notice of Contractor Performance Issue" issued
    0
  • Release Work Order Solicitation for program support services
    1
  • Evaluate Work Order Solicitation for program support services
    1
  • Execute Work Order for program support services
    0
  • Number of Households under the low-cost plan
    0

Target Populations

  • Small Businesses

Project Description

The COVID-19 pandemic accelerated the pace at which sectors and essential services transitioned to internet-based service delivery. Whether it was the ability to work from home, the need for reliable and high-speed connections at home to support remote learning when in-person instruction was suspended, access to telehealth services, or many other essential services, reliable, affordable, and high-speed internet connections at home were important but unavailable for many. This is recognized by the Treasury Department's SLFRF Final Rule which specifically mentions internet access and investments in broadband infrastructure as enumerated eligible uses. Despite Federal Communications Commission data showing that more than 97 percent of locations in Los Angeles County are served by broadband internet service, the United States Census Bureau estimates that over 416,000 households in Los Angeles County lack broadband internet subscriptions. Using GIS mapping (such as https://lacounty.maps.arcgis.com/home/webmap/viewer.html?webmap=9ba97b61270b462981ba3787e49a05b0 ), the Internal Services Department identified correlations between areas where more than 20 percent of the households lack home internet with both low median household income (less than $50,000/year) and predominant race (Black or Latinx). To address the lack of broadband internet for residents affected by the digital divide that was exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic, the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors has passed a series of Motions, including "Investments to Accelerate Digital Equity" (November 16, 2021, Agenda Item 19), for which this project is named. The Accelerate Digital Equity Project includes three major components. The first will establish public-private partnerships to build Community Broadband Networks (CBNs), which will be operated by qualified Managed Services Providers to provide retail broadband internet service options to residents and small businesses in five demonstration pilot projects in each Supervisorial District. The second is to provide approximately 7,500 Windows-based laptop computers to households in the CBN project areas if they do not have a computing device to connect to the broadband internet service. The third are supportive services to the CBN and digital navigator initiatives, such as research and analysis services, branding, multi-lingual promotional materials, and hyper-local media messaging. These services will ensure that the program has the necessary outreach, analytics, and promotion to ensure that Accelerate Digital Equity is achieving its outcomes, tailoring services to meet individual needs, and adjusting strategies over time.

Goals & Objectives

Goal Description BROADBAND ACCESS: All Households without available broadband internet service of at least 100 Mbps download and 20 Mbps upload in designated demonstration project areas in Los Angeles County will have access to service meeting or exceeding those speeds by December 31, 2026.

Objective Description Identify proposed Community Broadband Network project areas in each Supervisorial District

Activity Description Meet with applicable Supervisorial Districts and local cities or rural town councils to discuss project areas and participation.
Indicators
# Type Name Baseline Target
20 Performance Meeting with Supervisorial staff regarding project 0.00 5.00
43 Performance Meetings within each Supervisorial district and its stakeholders. 0.00 5.00

Activity Description Enter into Memoranda of Understanding with local cities.
Indicators
# Type Name Baseline Target
17 Performance Develop master Memorandum of Understanding for use with local cities 0.00 1.00
40 Performance Number of MOU's executed 2.00 9.00

Activity Description Work with each Supervisorial District on confirmation of proposed project areas and public announcement strategy
Indicators
# Type Name Baseline Target
18 Performance Develop announcement strategy for each supervisorial district. 0.00 5.00
47 Performance Gain Supervisorial District and participating city/cities approvals for Project Area 0.00 5.00

Activity Description Announce proposed project areas
Indicators
# Type Name Baseline Target
44 Performance Make public announcement of the proposed project areas selected. 0.00 5.00

Objective Description Release Community Broadband Network Work Order Solicitations for identified projects and support services

Activity Description Develop technical Scope of Work and associated solicitation documents.
Indicators
# Type Name Baseline Target
1 Performance Create all documents related to the technical scope of work for each project. 0.00 5.00

Activity Description Release Work Order Solicitation under Community Broadband Network Services Master Agreement
Indicators
# Type Name Baseline Target
4 Performance Master agreements executed for project in Supervisorial district. 0.00 5.00
38 Performance Release Work Order Solicitations for Service Areas 0.00 4.00

Activity Description Release Work Order Solicitations under CEO ARP Program Support Services Master Agreement
Indicators
# Type Name Baseline Target
1 Performance Release Work Order Solicitation for program support services 0.00 2.00

Objective Description Evaluate Community Broadband Network Work Order Solicitations and Execute Work Orders

Activity Description Evaluate Work Order Solicitations
Indicators
# Type Name Baseline Target
23 Performance Number of Work Order Solicitations evaluated 0.00 4.00

Activity Description Negotiate and Execute Contracts.
Indicators
# Type Name Baseline Target
22 Performance Number of contracts negotiated 0.00 5.00

Activity Description Evaluate Work Order Solicitations under CEO ARP Program Support Services Master Agreement
Indicators
# Type Name Baseline Target
1 Performance Evaluate Work Order Solicitation for program support services 0.00 2.00

Activity Description Negotiate and Execute Work Order Solicitations under CEO ARP Program Support Services Master Agreement
Indicators
# Type Name Baseline Target
1 Performance Execute Work Order for program support services 0.00 2.00

Objective Description Implement Community Broadband Networks

Activity Description Construct infrastructure needed to deliver servce
Indicators
# Type Name Baseline Target
29 Service Delivery Total miles of fiber deployed (Planned/Actual) 0.00
36 Service Delivery Numbers of homes passes (wireline) or within range (fixed wireless) 0.00
49 Performance Construction costs (Planned/Actual) 0.00

Activity Description Review ongoing project progress and provide required ARPA SLFRF reports for Broadband Infrastructure.
Indicators
# Type Name Baseline Target
15 Service Delivery Total miles of fiber deployed (Planned/Actual)

Activity Description MSP establishes service to subscribers
Indicators
# Type Name Baseline Target
21 Service Delivery Total number of funded locations served - Residential 0.00
42 Service Delivery Total number of funded locations served - Business 0.00
46 Service Delivery Total number of funded locations served - Community anchor institution

Outcome Description LA County residents in designated Community Broadband Network Service Areas will subscribe to the CBN broadband internet service of at least 100 Mbps download and 100 Mbps upload.
Indicators
# Type Name Baseline Target
5 Number of Households Served 0.00 0.00
36 Service Delivery Numbers of homes passes (wireline) or within range (fixed wireless) 0.00

Goal Description Goal 2: AFFORDABILITY: Subscribers in the Community Broadband Networks target areas will have access to a residential broadband internet access plan of 100 Mbps download and 20 Mbps upload at a low or no cost (fixed for the term of the contract with provision for cost-of-living adjustments). For households who qualify for the Affordable Connectivity Plan subsidy and choose to apply the subsidy to the CBN service, the service may be available at no cost, depending on the offered plan costs.

Objective Description Incorporate minimum service plan speed, cost, and fixed pricing requirements in Work Order Solicitations and resulting contracts.

Activity Description Add provisions in the Work Order Solicitations and resulting contracts
Indicators
# Type Name Baseline Target
22 Performance Number of contracts negotiated 0.00 5.00

Outcome Description Subscribers in the Community Broadband Networks target areas will have access to a residential broadband internet access plan of 100 Mbps download and 100 Mbps upload at low- or no-cost, depending on resident-selected plan, plan costs, and eligibility for and designation of the Affordable Connectivity Program subsidy toward CBN service.
Indicators
# Type Name Baseline Target
27 Program Outcome Total number of funded locations receiving minimum 100/100 Mbps 0.00
48 Service Delivery Number of ACP-eligible households served by the CBN 0.00

Goal Description Goal 3: RELIABILITY: Subscribers of the Community Broadband Network will have reliable internet service free from excessive delay, traffic loss, or consistently poor performance.

Objective Description Incorporate minimum service performance requirements.

Activity Description Add provisions in the Work Order Solicitations and resulting contracts
Indicators
# Type Name Baseline Target
33 Performance Add detailed performance requirements in solicitation and contract documents 0.00 9.00

Objective Description Ensure the MSPs meet the performance requirements.

Activity Description Review performance monthly and provide required quarterly ARPA SLFRF reports for Broadband Infrastructure.
Indicators
# Type Name Baseline Target
31 Performance Percentage of customer service requests within target 90.00
35 Performance Percentage of customer satisfaction data within target 90.00
50 Performance Percentage of service performance data (e.g. speed, latency, uptime) within target 95.00

Activity Description Implement corrective actions for failure to meet performance requirements, if necessary
Indicators
# Type Name Baseline Target
34 Performance Number of "Notice of Contractor Performance Issue" issued 0.00 0.00

Outcome Description Subscribers will have reliable and available internet service within the Community Broadband Network demonstration project areas.
Indicators
# Type Name Baseline Target
32 Program Outcome Percentage of service performance data (e.g. speed, latency, uptime) within target 95.00

Goal Description COMPUTING DEVICES: Households signing up for the Community Broadband Network should have at least one computing device. The project will provide qualifying households (those eligible for the low-cost plan and without a household computing device) a laptop computer at no cost, up to the targeted allocation of 7,500 devices by December 31, 2026.

Objective Description Acquire laptop computers with a minimum of 1-year warranty and technical support.

Activity Description Conduct competitive procurement of laptop computers in approximately four waves (2023, 2024, 2025, and 2026).
Indicators
# Type Name Baseline Target
25 Performance Number of laptops competitively solicited 0.00 7500.00

Activity Description Award laptop computer bid(s) and adjust target number of devices available for distribution
Indicators
# Type Name Baseline Target
26 Performance Number of laptops purchased 0.00 7500.00
39 Performance Adjusted target number of laptops to be distributed 7500.00 7500.00

Objective Description Distribute laptop computers to qualified households

Activity Description Develop process for determining eligibility and distribution processes and then distribute laptop computers
Indicators
# Type Name Baseline Target
28 Service Delivery Number of laptops distributed to qualifying households 0.00 7500.00

Outcome Description Households that otherwise would not have been able to use the Community Broadband Networks internet service due to the lack of a computing device will be able to own a laptop computer for household use at no cost to the resident.
Indicators
# Type Name Baseline Target
24 Program Outcome Number of households receiving laptop computers 0.00 7500.00