Supervisors push city to close digital divide as five‑year ICT plan moves forward

The Board of Supervisors on April 21 considered the city's five‑year information and communications technology plan and several related proposals as members pressed for faster action to close San Francisco's "digital divide."

Supervisor Eric Mar and others said the plan was a positive vision but does not adequately address digital inclusion for low‑income residents, seniors and students without reliable in‑home broadband. Mar asked the mayor's office and city departments to create an action plan and proposed a digital inclusion task force to ensure community voice and targeted strategies for underserved groups.

Supervisor Scott Wiener focused on the city's missed opportunity to lay conduit when streets are excavated for other work. Wiener said a city ordinance requiring conduit installation during street repairs had not been implemented in practice and urged a mandate that would remove departmental discretion. "We've been digging up almost every city street in the city ... and our city departments are not laying conduit in the street before they close it back up," Wiener said, calling the gap an "enormous missed opportunity."

Supervisor Mark Farrell asked the budget and legislative analyst to study financing options for a citywide expansion to deliver gigabit speeds: a fully public option funded by ballot measures, a private-sector option led by one or more ISPs, and a hybrid public–private partnership using existing city dark fiber. Farrell called high-speed internet "an economic right" and urged analysis of the costs and implementation challenges.

Supervisors acknowledged incremental efforts: the city's expansion of free Wi‑Fi at parks and the creation of a municipal fiber ring, but several asked for concrete timelines and stronger enforcement of conduit-laying policies. Supervisor Jane Kim said she would co-sponsor a request for hearings; Supervisor Mar said he would ask the city attorney to draft an ordinance to create a digital inclusion task force.

Next steps: The board asked the budget and legislative analyst and city departments to prepare studies and potential ordinances on conduit policy, funding options for citywide gigabit connectivity and the structure for a task force to address digital inclusion. Several supervisors pledged to work across offices to move the pieces forward.