Napa County group coalesces around written digital equity plan, grant applications and digital navigator training

Mark Rebus, Napa County broadband project manager, convened a cross-sector digital equity working group to discuss county efforts, grant opportunities and priorities for serving residents without reliable internet. Rebus said the county recently "submitted an application with Solano County...for a $7,700,000 grant from the National Telecommunications and Information Administration" and summarized how those funds — along with match — would pay for device lending, part-time digital navigators, mobile computer labs and other programs.

A nut graf: Participants representing libraries, adult education, farmworker services, health-care providers and aging services agreed the county needs an inventory of existing services and a written digital equity plan to guide funding and coordination. That plan would also shape applications for a separate state-administered digital equity capacity grant and local partnerships, participants said.

In the meeting, Rebus outlined recent actions and funding prospects. He said the NTIA-related application estimated a total program cost of $10,400,000, with $2,650,000 in cash match and roughly $7,750,000 in grant funds earmarked for services including digital literacy…