Technology & Innovation

Digital Inclusion

The City is celebrating International Digital Inclusion Week (IDIW)! Tune-in to our social media platforms during International Digital Inclusion Week on Monday, 10/15 – Sunday, 10/21 to learn more about the digital inclusion efforts happening in Long Beach.

Join the conversation by using the hashtags #IDIW2018 #LBdigitalinclusion.
Facebook: @CityofLongBeachCA
Twitter: @LongBeachCity

For more information regarding the Long Beach Public Library, please visit: www.lbpl.org.
For more information regarding the Long Beach Parks, Recreation and Marine Department, please visit: www.longbeach.gov/park.

Cities across America are facing the social issue of digital divide and the City of Long Beach is proud of its efforts in going beyond this conversation and instead is focusing on digital inclusion.  Digital divide conversations tend to focus only on the access available to individuals, whereas we believe digital inclusion is meant to signal a focus on a practical approach that addresses the needs of our community as a whole.

The City of Long Beach has been designated as a Digital Inclusion Trailblazer by the National Digital Inclusion Alliance and our approach to promote digital inclusion is through a compilation of the following:

1. Public Access to Technology
2. Access to Digital Content
3. Digital Literacy
4. Programs and Services

The following consists of some of the items that the City of Long Beach is currently performing to bridge efforts for digital inclusion.

1. The City’s Technology & Innovation Commission (TIC) is preparing a summary report that will highlight the quantitative and qualitative feedback they received from the community-based survey. The survey was translated in multiple languages and distributed at community hubs and community-based organizations. The summary report will capture how residents are currently accessing the internet and the barriers they face to connect to internet services. In addition, strategic recommendations from TIC will also be included in the summary report. 

2. Most City residents are within 1 mile of City Provided Wi-Fi. While the City does not provide broadband access for in-home use, the City does provide access to free Wi-Fi through all Library Branches and select parks. The attached map represents the estimated locations of City provided Wi-Fi access points. The City of Long Beach continues to look at innovative approaches and partnerships to provide more access to broadband resources.

3. The Long Beach Public Library has 261 public access PCs within the public library system. Please refer to the list below.

4. All 12 City Libraries have been upgraded to an ultrafast 1 Gigabyte Broadband Connection. Over the past year, the Technology & Innovation Department has worked to bring high-speed broadband to all City of Long Beach’s Library Branches.  By connecting these public spaces to CalREN, a high-capacity 3,800-mile fiber optic network operated by CENIC, the Corporation for Education Network Initiatives in California.  Because libraries are central to their communities, this service will allow Long Beach Library Branches to effectively provide the public with high-performance access to resources that constitute 21st century digital citizenship and the benefits of a digitally empowered population.

5. There are 23 Long Beach community centers where free public Wi-Fi is provided. 

6. The Long Beach Public Library provides free in-person English and Spanish computer literacy classes. For more information regarding the Long Beach Public Library, please visit: www.lbpl.org.

7. Implementation of the “UpLink” smart corridor project to expand public Wi-Fi access and security cameras along Atlantic Avenue between Jordan High School and Michelle Obama Neighborhood Library. Along the Atlantic Corridor, there are five new Wi-Fi access points, which can support up to 200 simultaneous users. Users can connect for up to 60 minutes of the Wi-Fi service, and can continue their usage indie the Michelle Obama Neighborhood Library using the Library's Wi-Fi service. UpLink is the direct result of the 2015 Participatory Budgeting initiative, which gave 9th District residents the power to decide how to spend a one-time infrastructure funds.