CETF-USC Statewide Broadband Adoption Survey: Supporting Sustainability and Expanding Learning and Health Services through Broadband Investments

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
understand the potential for connectivity investments to reduce carbon emissions by facilitating
remote activities, which at the same time could promote equity by facilitating access to learning
and healthcare services.

This policy brief examines this potential based on the findings from the 2021 Statewide Survey
on Broadband Adoption. The survey 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 the California Emerging Technology fund (CETF) and USC. The findings suggest
that California residents have embraced remote work, telehealth and remote learning in ways that
offer significant potential to leverage broadband to support sustainability goals and at the same
time improve access to health, education and other essential services