California Emerging Technology Fund: Broadband Awareness and Adoption

Vol. 2 No. 2  Fall 2012 Connecting Californians to Broadband The California Emerging Technology Fund and Broadband Awareness and Adoption partners (BAA) are breaking down the barriers to broadband adoption and closing the Digital Divide in California. BAA partners have provided computer training and consumer education about broadband to more than 640,000 Californians and enabled 199,000 low-income families to get connected at home. Monet Wilson, 9, visited Southern Baptist Missionary Church's new computer lab on its opening day. The Los Angeles congregation earned the free lab for signing up 345 families for broadband. Read more in the latest edition of Connections, a publication of CETF. Also in this issue of Connections: Welcome from the President and CEO Broadband Adoption Highlights: The percentage of Californians with home broadband connections is growing faster than the nation as a whole. Today, 73% of California households have a broadband Internet connection, up sharply from 58% in 2008. Broadband adoption has grown 70% in five years for Latino households, and now stands at 58%. Take Your Small Business to the Next Level With support from CETF and the National Telecommunications & Information Administration, California Resources and Training (CARAT) is offering free technology trainings throughout the state for small businesses. Through in-person and online trainings, participants learn about software and other tools to help businesses reach new customers, expand market presence, manage operations more efficiently, and increase profits. To sign up for a training, visit the CARAT website, email trainings@caratnet.org, or call 510-451-2545.