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Not Just Video Games and Instant Messaging

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The Children's Partnership, a project of Tides Center, says report spells out how broadband can deliver promising future to California's children


Santa Monica, Calif. - January 17, 2008 -  The Children's Partnership today commended the work of California Broadband Task Force (CBTF) and the release of its report, The State of Connectivity: Building Innovation Through Broadband noting its potential to broadly impact California's future and the future of the 10 million children living in the state. The report was delivered to the Governor this morning and can be viewed at www.calink.ca.gov/taskforcereport.

The report includes seven consensus recommendations and took more than a year of work. It was developed by the California Broadband Task Force, a diverse group of experts representing businesses, non-profit organizations, educational institutions, and public servants across the state. Governor Schwarzenegger appointed the members of the CBTF and charged it with providing recommendations that "remove barriers to broadband access, identify opportunities for increased broadband adoption, and enable the creation and deployment of new advanced communication technologies."

"This report marks a crucial transition from the perception that kids and the Internet means games and Instant Messaging. This report links high-speed digital technology and improved education, health care, workforce and civic training for California's 10 million children. It is notable that the report specifically provides ways to connect the 3 million children most vulnerable to being left behind in California's digital economy and society," said Wendy Lazarus, Founder and Co-President of The Children's Partnership and a member of the California Broadband Task Force.

"Now, California has a practical roadmap for a 21st Century digital infrastructure, including how to get 100% of the state's children connected, up to speed and ready for the future. With over 40% of low-income households still without a computer at home, we have challenging but crucial work ahead," Lazarus added.

According to the report, "high-speed Internet access, or broadband, is a fundamental aspect of the infrastructure required to educate our youth, create jobs, promote public safety, improve our standard of living, and deliver essential services like healthcare."

However, the report notes uneven distribution:

  • 1.4 million mostly rural Californians lack broadband access at any speed.
  • Barely more than half of Californians have adopted broadband at home.
  • Only half of Californians have access to broadband at speeds greater than 10 Mbps (speed needed for remote education, for example).
  • Broadband infrastructure is deployed unevenly throughout the state, from state-of-the-art to nonexistent.

The report pays particular attention to children and their access to technology. "The CBTF report recognizes that preparing the next generation is the best way for California to ensure a workforce that is technologically literate and equipped for the new economy. The report also underscores that children are the early adopters of technology and can bring their families, friends and neighbors along. Most important, there are recommendations aimed at reaching the low-income, geographically isolated, and other children who could most benefit from the technology revolution," Lazarus said.

Among the recommendations that are most important to California's 10 million children:

  • Public private partnership to ensure that every household with a child is able to have a computer with high speed Internet in the home and the ability to use it.
  • Support for technology literacy programs in Prop 49-supported after-school programs.
  • Education policies and curriculum to ensure that all youth graduate school proficient in 21st century skills.
  • An E-Government Access and Efficiency Program that would make it more efficient for children and families to learn about and enroll in government programs they qualify for.
  • The creation of a statewide e-health network that connects providers and consumers and enables telemedicine and other applications that can improve children's access to necessary health care and lower its cost.
  • A Community Innovation Initiative to spur the development of broadband applications to solve community and social problems.
  • A 10% increase over two years in the funds used for technology skills training from the federal workforce training program (Workforce Investment Act).
  • A Teen Innovation Initiative that encourages California youth to suggest ways technology can be used to improve state and local government youth programs and services.
  • Improvements in several existing programs that provide telecommunications discounts and other technology resources to underserved communities (California Teleconnect Fund, Digital Divide Fund).

"We thank Governor Schwarzenegger for the opportunity to work with this diverse set of California leaders to craft these recommendations for a digital infrastructure with a focus on connecting children to the future," Lazarus said. "We now urge the Governor to move swiftly to work with lawmakers as well as business and community leaders to enact the recommendations of the Task Force and deliver a high-speed, global future to all of California's children and families."

Contact:
Wendy Lazarus
The Children's Partnership
310.260.1220
wlazarus(at)childrenspartnership.org

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