Closing the Digital Divide: Digital Equity Funding Opportunity
LA n Sync in partnership with the California Community Foundation’s Digital Equity Initiative is supporting municipalities that are interested in pursuing the California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) Local Agency Technical Assistance (LATA) grants.
The CPUC established the LATA grant program for eligible pre-construction work facility broadband network projects to areas in need. The program has a $50 million budget for eligible local agencies and tribal entities in California.
Technical assistance grants support local agencies in their efforts to expand broadband to communities lacking access to fast and reliable internet. Grant recipients are reimbursed for eligible pre-construction expenses to provide last-mile connections to unserved and underserved communities. Examples of reimbursable expenses:
- Consultant or staff time for conducting needs assessments, environmental and engineering studies, network design, and broadband strategic plans.
- Costs incurred in forming a joint powers authority for the purpose of bringing broadband to areas in need of sufficient Internet connections.
LA n Sync has already funded a grant writer for the City of Lynwood and Lynwood Unified School District’s joint LATA application and are funding a contractor to lead a broadband planning workshop for a newly forming cooperative in the Antelope Valley.
An overview of the LATA program can be found here. Information about related federal funding for last-mile projects can be found at Broadband Implementation for California.
For information about eligibility for LATA grants and how the program might support your work to advance digital equity – fast, reliable, and affordable internet for every LA County resident – contact the Digital Equity Initiative at digitaldivide@calfund.org. For information about how to get support from LA n Sync for your community’s LATA application, please contact lansync@calfund.org.