By James Hackett
Editor’s Note: The COVID-19 pandemic forced school districts into distance learning, which requires a reliable internet connection, something many low-income students in Pajaro Valley don’t have at home. Santa Cruz County is rated C- on the California Broadband Infrastructure Report Card; nearly 16,000 households lack access to adequate internet. Low-income families prioritize food and rent, and require internet service to be free or very low cost. Here’s a creative solution.
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Equal Access Santa Cruz has a simple goal: to bridge the digital divide and bring true high-speed broadband to every family in the Santa Cruz community, regardless of income level. The project is spearheaded by Cruzio Internet, one of the country’s oldest independent internet service providers and a trusted partner in the Santa Cruz community for over 30 years.
Michelle Rodriguez, Pajaro Valley Unified School District superintendent, is committed to closing the digital divide for students who are distance learning at home. • Photo Courtesy of Cruzio
When the current health crisis hit our county, our education system was an immediate area of major concern. It was obvious that the need for high-quality broadband had never been higher, and that low-income families would be the hardest hit.
Working with the County Office of Education (COE) and the Pajaro Valley School District (PVUSD) Cruzio quickly developed a plan to expand coverage and provide free and subsidized high-speed internet to dozens of low-income families and students.
The program provides families with free internet service including state-of-the-art home WifFi for three months and then a heavily-discounted rate thereafter.
“Our priority is to support all students and families with the resources and tools needed for distance learning—especially our most under-served students”, said Jason Borgen, chief technology officer for COE. “Focusing on equity and doing everything we can to remove the digital divide from Santa Cruz County, the COE and Cruzio, working together, can truly make a difference here.”
The demand for the service was overwhelming and it was clear that there was an opportunity to expand the program and serve many more families. Working closely with COE and PVUSD, Cruzio developed a plan to utilize district-owned properties to distribute wireless internet to many, many more families, students and teachers.
A quick call to one of Cruzio’s trusted technology partners, Aviat Networks, led to a donation of several high-end backhaul radios for use in the project.
“We’re grateful for the opportunity to help Cruzio and Santa Cruz broaden the ability to communicate, learn, and continue to advance in life, even in these difficult times,” said Pete Smith, chief executive officer of Aviat Networks.
While we didn’t at first consider outside donations as a possibility, once it was suggested we realized that not just Cruzio management and staff, but also other members of the Santa Cruz County community and the greater technology community recognize the importance of educational opportunity — and equity — for low income families in our county.
This knowledge has inspired us to expand the Equal Access Santa Cruz program and seek out new projects and opportunities that serve these goals.
“Our mission has always been the same,” said Chris Frost, director of infrastructure & technology at Cruzio, “to offer affordable, high-quality Internet access to every home, business, and family in Santa Cruz County. Thanks to the support and vision of the community, we’re a step closer to that goal today.”
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Community Foundation Steps In
Editor’s Note: Here’s how the Equal Access Santa Cruz County fund was created with the support of Community Foundation Santa Cruz County.
Watsonville Rotary Club is raising money to bring high-speed wireless internet to the Buena Vista Camp, helping 160 families involved in distance learning. • Photo Credit: Krisin Fabos
When Cruzio announced its program to supply subsidized internet to low-income students, they received 200 calls within a couple of days. Over 30% of Cruzio’s broadband installations in the next two months were subsidized.
Knowing the need was much greater, Cruzio teamed up with Community Foundation Santa Cruz County to establish Equal Access Santa Cruz County to generate funding and get affordable internet to families in need.
The Community Foundation saw unequal access to the internet as a pressing problem.
“Since the first day of school closures back in March, our community has become acutely aware of how stark the digital divide is and how harshly it impacts kids, “explains Susan True, Community Foundation Santa Cruz County’s CEO. “But, we’ve also seen how much this community wants to bridge the divide and give all children the opportunity to succeed. Equal Access gives the community a way to help and make a big difference right away. Big thanks to the Rotarians, educators, families, donors, entrepreneurs, and the whole Cruzio team for creating local and swift solutions to get children connected.”
Supporters include the Monterey Bay Economic Partnership, the Central Coast Broadband Consortium and the City of Watsonville.
The first big broadband infrastructure project is under way. In August the PVUSD board approved an Equal Access Santa Cruz County project using four of their properties to house new internet access points with each serving hundreds of subscribers.
“As we engage in a Distance Learning instructional mode, connectivity is more important than ever for student participation and learning,” said Dr. Michelle Rodriguez, PVUSD superintendent. “Our partnership with Cruzio is part of their Equal Access Santa Cruz County initiative and meant to ensure that students and families who are not able to receive internet connectivity due to cost are able to access it at a reasonable rate.”
In the next project, the Watsonville Rotary club is raising funds to bring high-speed wireless internet connectivity to the Buena Vista Labor Camp, home to 160 low-income families with children.
“The COVID-19 pandemic has further exposed inequities in our society that must be addressed,“ said Kristin Fabos, Watsonville Rotary president. “Requirements of distance learning make Internet access an essential service that all households need so that children have an equal playing field when it comes to their education.”
Added Cruzio President Peggy Dolgenos, “We’re literally looking at the future of Santa Cruz County in the effort to educate local students.”
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To learn more and make a donation, see EqualAccessSantaCruz.com.
James Hackett is director of business operations at Cruzio, a locally owned company providing technology services to 9,000 households and businesses throughout Santa Cruz County.
