Do you want fast Internet service?  The time to act is now!

    Today, Newberry Springs is at a pivotal crossroads when it comes to accessing technology.  We can access it today by acquiring the dependable fiber optics gateway, or we can continue to struggle with Internet service.

    Thanks to the pandemic, the federal government has made 42 billion dollars available to have homes and businesses connected with high-speed fiber optic cable.  Separate money has also been made available for the Affordable Connectivity Program (ACP) which provides subsidized monthly Internet service.

    Up to $2 billion could be allocated to California's "Last Mile" fiber connections for residences.  The catch is, Newberry Springs has to ask for it. We need to say why we, as an underserved and disadvantaged community, deserve our equitable share.

    Acquiring fiber optic linkage is critical for the future growth of Newberry. Without fiber, Newberry will continue to fall further behind. Video streaming is necessary for telehealth, business connections, education, security cams, and numerous other applications.

    The State is preparing an application plan to submit to the federal government's National Telecommunication Information Administration (NTIA) requesting the funds.

    In order for California to bolster its plan and acquire the maximum amount of dollars possible, the State is holding 20 regional meetings. The closest one to Newberry Springs will be held at Cal State U. San Bernardino on May 16th. It will be the State's 16th regional meeting.

Buffering.

    The State (literally) wants to hear from Newberry. It wants speakers and non-speakers attending the workshop so that it can incorporate our data and cries for assistance into its plan. This is a one-shot opportunity for Newberry Springs.

    If we can provide a large delegation at the workshop, we will have the advantage of acquiring high-speed fiber connections directly to all of our homes and businesses. If we fail to show attendance, your final connection to the national fiber optic system might be with a much slower copper or Wi-Fi connection.

    The meeting will be attended by major State players like the PUC and the Department of Technology. The federal California Program Officer with the National Telecommunications and Information Administration, along with elected federal, state, and local officials, will be participating.

    Newberry's current Internet service providers have been providing substandard speed, capacity, and dependability. At the workshop, residents can voice their frustration and needs.

    The workshop on May 16th will last about 4 hours from 2 P.M. to 6 P.M.

    During the workshop, there will be two one-hour roundtable discussions where attendees can give the State a breakdown of why we need fiber optic connections. So, even those uncomfortable with speaking, can listen in and contribute input at the roundtables.

    No Internet Service Provider (ISP) wants to tackle the high cost of providing fiber to poorly populated and scattered residences in a rural community. However, if Newberry presents its case well, the high costs will be subsidized by the federal government. Newberry Springs will probably never get another chance to get federal funding for fiber optics.

    Please attend this meeting and consider ride-sharing with a neighbor. Due to the importance, please pass the word along to your neighbors, church group, and everyone you locally associate with to have them participate.

    For those unable to attend but wish to participate, you can write a letter and the delegation can submit it to the State at the meeting. Your letter can also be discussed at the roundtable working groups to emphasize your key concerns.

    Free parking will be provided to those registering.

    I have been asked to provide some points of concern that our delegates can utilize. I am posting a few that come to mind.

    • Newberry Springs is an economically, disadvantaged
      community that is a digital desert that has been
      left behind.

    • Newberry Springs has inadequate local connectivity.

    • Congested networks.

    • Affordability of devices for the economically disadvantaged.

    • Affordability of connection.

    • Lack of infrastructure.

    • Poor options.

    • Lack of reliability.

    • Lack of security and emergency connectivity.

    • Accessibility to digital tools and services for
      the underserved.

    • Aging population with a lack of digital literacy.

    • Medical/health access is seriously limited due
      to the lack of telehealth and virtual care.

    • We have been waiting for 10 years, stuck with
      Frontier's 10-1 speed.

    • Digital connectivity needs to cover all populations.

    • Need to have outreach to assist the digitally illiterate.

    • Funding needs to be flexible and directed towards
      the marginalized.

    • Impacts on personal and community economic stability.

    • Due to Newberry's high winds, we need buried fiber
      and not pole-suspended fiber cable.

    • Rural residents are people too and deserve equity.

    • How do you survive with everything in the cloud
      when you can not access it?

    • Can't find lost pets on Facebook without access.

    • We need fiber optic to be done right the first
      time so that it doesn't need to be redone later.

    • The U.S. Surgeon General declared a new public
      health epidemic in America, loneliness. A new
      report finds loneliness can have profound effects
      on mental health as well as heart disease, stroke
      and dementia. We need fiber optics to bring our
      rural and isolated people together.

    • Disadvantaged individuals who depend upon, qualify,
      and receive government support should automatically
      be qualified for Internet Service Provider service
      without additional restrictive qualifications being
      required by the provider.

    • Newberry Springs is a designated Environmental
      Justice Focus Area for infrastructure improvements.