The CETF mission: close the Digital Divide in California by accelerating the deployment and adoption of broadband and other advanced communications services to unserved and underserved communities. CETF is a unique organization in the nation—no other state has a non-profit with a primary mission to close the Digital Divide by addressing the challenges of both “supply” and “demand” to increase the use of technologies enabled by ubiquitous high-speed Internet access. A vital catalyst, CETF brings diverse stakeholders together—elected officials and policymakers, regional and local civic leaders, community-based organizations (CBOs) and broadband providers—to address the challenges and many facets of the Digital Divide collectively. CETF concluded the first 10 years of operation in 2017 and published the Decade Report (www.cetfund.org). The Progress Report 2020 charts a course the new 5-Year Strategic Plan to achieve Digital Equity and documents accomplishments through 2020.
Overall CETF 5 year Goals
A hallmark of CETF is a disciplined focus on outcomes and accountability for results. The 5-Year Strategic Plan continues a focus on aggressive Overall Goals to achieve at least:
- 98% Deployment in Each Region
- 90% Adoption Statewide
CETF also strives to build capacity in other public and private institutions to incorporate Digital Inclusion policies and practices into their ongoing operations and programs. This is called “institutionalization” so that Digital Equity is “rooted” into the organizational culture and actively pursued by all public agencies and major organizations that serve large numbers of low-income households and other disadvantaged populations.
Metrics for Success
- Reach Overall Goal of 98% deployment and 90% adoption
- Digital Inclusion incorporated into public policy with active leadership to implement.
- Institutionalized capacity in existing institutions and agencies with embedded practice in anchor institutions to assist clients with broadband adoption.
- California recognized as a national leader in closing the Digital Divide.
