Napa County to Receive Digital Equity Leadership Grant to Help Close the Digital Divide

NAPA, CA -The California Emerging Technology Fund (CETF) has awarded a $20,000 Digital Equity Leadership Grant to Napa County as part of the Local Government Best Practices Check List Project. This initiative is designed to accelerate the adoption of policies and practices that aim to close the Digital Divide in California. Napa County is one of 12 counties and 24 cities and towns in the state selected to receive this grant in support of its efforts to bridge the Digital Divide.

As part of the project, Napa County will participate in a collaborative "Learning Community" with other jurisdictions. The group will address shared challenges, share expertise, and compile lessons learned into a public report to be released by June 2025.

"The Digital Divide is one of the most pressing challenges facing our community today," said Mark Revis, Napa County Broadband Manager. "This grant will help us to reach out to disadvantaged populations within Napa County to make meaningful progress toward digital equity."

The Check List outlines five key roles that local governments can adopt to promote digital inclusion and achieve digital equity: (1) Policy Leader, (2) Planner, (3) Regulator, (4) Consumer Purchaser, and (5) Service Provider. These roles were first introduced in a Resource Guide for Local and Regional Leaders published by CETF in 2010, in collaboration with the Orange County Business Council. The guide was updated in 2021 in partnership with Valley Vision, the fiscal agent for the Connected Capital Area Broadband Consortium. The Check List provides a framework for local governments to assess their progress in closing the Digital Divide.

The Learning Community concept recognizes that local leaders are best positioned to drive progress when supported by peer collaboration. Through this process, participants will coach each other and ensure accountability for measurable advancements in digital equity.

Local governments have the flexibility to allocate the $20,000 grant to address the Digital Divide in ways that best suit their jurisdictions. In Napa County, the funds will be used to enhance public outreach efforts, raising awareness about digital literacy classes and other digital equity programs offered by the Napa County Library. Additionally, Napa County plans to share information on new broadband deployment projects and affordable internet service options available through local providers.

The CETF Digital Equity Leadership Grants are funded through a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) between CETF and T‐Mobile USA. As part of T‐Mobile's acquisition of Sprint in 2020, the company committed $5 million for Digital Equity Leadership Grants. CETF has committed $1,155 million to the Local Government Best Practices Check List Project.