Publications

Since 2008, the California Emerging Technology Fund (CETF) has conducted a statewide survey to assess California’s progress towards closing the divide in broadband connectivity across the state. Over the years, the results have shown a steady increase in broadband adoption, though the gains have been uneven across regions and groups. With the onset of the COVID-19…

The COVID-10 pandemic has dramatically changed transit patterns and disrupted the delivery of basic public goods such as education and health. At the same time, it has also brought to the forefront new opportunities afforded by broadband-enabled applications in remote work, telehealth and remote learning. As California emerges from the pandemic, it is important to…

INTERNET ADOPTION AND THE “DIGITAL DIVIDE” IN CALIFORNIA The 2021 Statewide Survey on Broadband Adoption was conducted by researchers at the University of Southern California (USC), led by Associate Professor Hernan Galperin, as part of a new research partnership between CETF and USC. The findings show that the share of California residents with Internet access…

This study examines how far is California from the goal of making 100Mbps broadband available to all as laid out by Governor Gavin Newsom in August 2020. The study also discusses the broadband proposals (AB-14 and SB-4) currently before the CA legislature. Among the key study findings are: The vast majority of Californians (94.2%) live…

This Connected Communities and Inclusive Growth (CCIG) report that examines the ability of K-12 students in California to engage in distance learning based on the availability of an internet-connected computer at home.   Among the key report findings are:   One in four K-12 households in California do not have a desktop or laptop computer…

As schools across the country transition to distance learning due to the COVID-19 crisis, a new CCIG report documents the extent of the distance learning gap in Los Angeles County. The distance learning gap refers to the gap between students living in households with high-speed Internet and a desktop or laptop computer, and those without…

Abstract: As consolidation in the US residential broadband market continues, there is concern that that Internet Service Providers (ISPs) are “cherry-picking” areas for upgrades to fast broadband services.  This policy brief examines this question for Los Angeles (LA) County during the 2014-17 period. In particular, it probes for evidence that ISPs are neglecting investments in low-income…

Galperin, H., & Greppi, C. (2019). Geographic Discrimination in the Gig Economy. In Graham, M. (ed.), Digital Economies at Global Margins. Cambridge: MIT Press. Abstract: Online labor platforms were expected to flatten labor markets by reducing the importance of worker location and, as a result, promote employment and wage growth in developing countries based on…

This policy brief analyzes trends in residential broadband coverage and competition in LA county. It is based on information about Internet availability and service speeds at the census block level collected by the California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) for 2015-2016 (the most recent available). This information is combined with data from the American Community Survey…

This policy brief maps the social and geographical contours of digital exclusion in Los Angeles County. The focus is on home broadband, which refers to the adoption of residential Internet services, regardless of access technology or devices used. The data is sourced from the 2015 American Community Survey (ACS), which is the latest available that allows…