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UC Berkeley capstone details digital-divide gaps in California; recommends outcome-driven, technology-neutral approach
Summary
A UC Berkeley graduate student presented research showing persistent broadband gaps in inland and rural California, citing market limitations, complex grant processes and mapping errors; the student recommended an outcome-driven, technology-neutral funding approach and streamlined permitting.
Fenny Desriani, a graduate student at UC Berkeley, presented research July 1 for the Little Hoover Commission identifying persistent broadband gaps in California and recommending an "outcome-driven, technology-neutral" approach to close them.
Desriani told commissioners that despite large state commitments to broadband infrastructure, inland and northern counties still show higher percentages of unserved households. Her research identified three root causes: market limitations (low density and high capital costs that reduce private providers' incentives), fragmentation and complexity in grant programs and maps that determine eligibility, and local permitting and workforce capacity constraints.
Desriani described examples she studied. One California locality used a fixed-wireless technology (Tarana) suited to its terrain and benefited from city-provided land for towers and support from a broadband consortium. Other examples included municipal fiber networks and open-access middle-mile fiber that allow multiple internet service providers to compete. Based on those cases she recommended a policy mix emphasizing streamlined grant processes, accelerated permitting, open-access infrastructure and flexible technology choices tailored to local conditions.
Commissioners praised the presentation. "Brilliant work," Commissioner David Beyer said, calling the outcome-driven recommendation especially useful for policymakers. Commissioner Gil Garcetti and others echoed those remarks and asked about next steps; staff noted the presentation could inform future scoping memos on state technology oversight or broadband policy.
The commission accepted the presentation for its record and indicated it could be useful background for future scoping memos on technology and state government IT governance.
