Advanced Communications Services Action Plan

Challenge

Advanced Communications Services (ACS) is an essential part of doing business and accessing services in the 21st century. However, affordable ACS is not universally available in all areas of the San Joaquin Valley. Surveys by the Public Policy Institute of California indicate the more rural the community, the less likely it is to have access; and the less affluent, less educated or less English-proficient the community, the lower the use of the Internet, even if access does exist.

Training and education in computer and Internet use and opportunities are an integral part of improving the benefits of access for economic renewal and educational attainment. Community technology centers and other public access sites provide assistance in some communities; but the amount of training and support often is inadequate, especially in rural areas.

The need exists within the underserved areas of the San Joaquin Valley to develop a program to provide access and increased use of ACS. Opportunity exists to initiate and test a California model in a geographic area relatively free from physical barriers and one that is small enough so the model’s goals are achievable.

Indicators

• Increase in availability of advanced communications services (ACS) and information technology (IT) infrastructure throughout the region
• Increase in affordability of ACS.
• Increase in use of ACS and IT by all segments of the population (decrease in the “digital divide”)
• Increase in number of state agencies, boards and commissions with policies for expansion of ACS
• Increase in number of regional agencies and local governments with policies for expansion of ACS
• Completed development of an integrated and easy-to-update GIS mapping system and its use by local communities
• Increase in residential and commercial construction projects incorporating ACS infrastructure
• Increase in number of high school students who graduate with computer literacy skills
• Increase in deployment of telemedicine and e-Health technology

Goals AND Objectives

Goal 1:  Expedite the provision of advanced communications services (ACS) access in all areas of the San Joaquin Valley.

Objective A: Raise the profile of access to ACS as a fundamental and necessary service for all residents and businesses.

Objective B: Inform local elected officials about the benefits of ubiquitous access to ACS and provide model policies and other tools to help facilitate deployment.

Objective C: Identify communities and neighborhoods without affordable connection to delivery of ACS.

Objective D: Increase availability of affordable ACS in rural and other underserved areas.

Objective E: Increase deployment of ACS by current and prospective service providers.

Objective F: Increase deployment through wired, fixed wireless, wireless and other available technologies.

Objective G: Eliminate installation barriers that discourage deployment.

Objective H: Identify and seek all available funding for deployment of ACS.

Objective I:  Leverage unused bandwidth for the benefit of the greatest number of users.

Objective J: Incorporate ACS infrastructure into all new residential and commercial construction.

Goal 2:  Promote accessibility and utilization of ACS in targeted underserved communities and populations.

Objective A: Increase utilization of ACS by all residents.

Objective B: Inform local elected officials about the importance and benefit of access to ACS and IT for all residents and businesses.

Objective C: Implement projects to provide access to ACS and IT for all residents and businesses to eliminate the digital divide.

Objective D: Develop and implement a program to ensure all high school students graduate with basic computer literacy skills.

Objective E: Expand the number of public locations for access to ACS to help disadvantaged residents and businesses to bridge the digital divide.

Goal 3:  Expand and replicate successful model programs to increase access to ACS and IT to bridge the digital divide.

Objective A: Develop and implement a plan to expand and replicate the most successful strategies and programs to bridge the digital divide.

Objective B: Foster demand for ACS access in underserved and disadvantaged communities, such as encouraging economic development and growth of home-based businesses.

Goal 4:  Accelerate deployment of ACS infrastructure through telemedicine and eHealth technology.

Objective A: Develop and implement a telemedicine and eHealth plan to connect health clinics with medical centers.

Objective B: Build upon ACS infrastructure for telemedicine and eHealth to promote other applications for education and economic development to increase access and affordability.