The City of Long Beach announced its official affiliation with the National Digital Inclusion Alliance (NDIA) during Digital Inclusion Week May 7-11, which brings attention to digital inequalities nationwide.
The NDIA has more than 300 affiliated organizations in over 30 states working toward digital equity. The city is now aiming to modify the decrease in digital inconsistencies for residents by increasing public access to technology, programs and services that can be accessed digitally, and have access to digital content and digital literacy, according to the release.
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“Many communities of color throughout the U.S. lack accessibility to computers and the internet,” said Councilwoman Lena Gonzalez in a statement. “I am proud to be a part of the City’s efforts in taking proactive measure to address existing digital inequities.”
The city touted its current efforts toward digital inclusion in the release, mentioning over 300 public access PCs (personal computers) with free Wi-Fi access within all 12 public libraries with ultrafast one-gigabyte broadband connections. The Main Library, El Dorado Library and Mark Twain Library are offering in-person and online computer coding classes that are available in English and Spanish. Over 20 city parks provide free public Wi-Fi access. Mayor Robert Garcia said in a statement that most residents are within one mile of the city-provided Wi-Fi.
The UpLink Smart Corridor project will expand public Wi-Fi access and security cameras through Jordan High School and Michelle Obama Neighborhood Library. There are five new Wi-Fi access points along the Atlantic Corridor, where users can connect up to 60 minutes and continue using Wi-Fi service at the Michelle Obama Neighborhood Library.
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The City’s Technology and Innovation Commission is also conducting a community-based survey to evaluate how residents are accessing the internet and to figure out the difficulties they face in order to better connect residents to internet services. The survey will be available until the end of June.
For more information on the survey or the city’s efforts on digital inclusion, visit the link here.