Office of Community and Economic Development
OCED Efforts Addressing Broadband Infrastructure, Adoption, and Digital Literacy
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OCED Executive Director, Ismael Herrera; Asian Business Institute & Resource Center Executive Director, Blong Xiong; and Keyla Hernandez-Ulloa, Consumer and Governmental Affairs Bureau, Federal Communications Commission meet to discuss consumer related outreach efforts in the San Joaquin Valley. |
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Claudia Sanchez and Luz Ezquivel ready to be interviewed by the radio announcer Samuel Rodriguez. |
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Claudia and Luz at the Mexican Consulate. |
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OCED Executive Director, Ismael Herrera participating in Digital Inclusion Roundtable convened in Sacramento, CA on June 19th. |
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Participants in the June 19th Digital Inclusion Roundtable included (L to R) and Chris Schmidt, Chief, Transportation Planning, CalTrans; Cynthia Walker, Director, Communications Division, CPUC; Jim Mayer, Senior Fellow and President Emeritus, California Forward; and Sunne Wright McPeak, President and CEO, CETF. |
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Claudia subscribing to a resident of the community of Corcoran Ca, to the low-cost internet program. |
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Claudia and Luz delivering a Chromebook to a new adoption in Corcoran, CA.
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June 6
OCED Executive Director, Ismael Herrera and Asian Business Institute & Resource Center Executive Director, Blong Xiong met with Keyla Hernandez-Ulloa, Consumer and Governmental Affairs Bureau, Federal Communications Commission to discuss consumer related outreach efforts being conducted nationwide by the federal entity. Among the topics of discussion were an overview of OCED’s efforts and accomplishments with the San Joaquin Valley Regional Broadband Consortium and language and cultural barriers that complicate trustful community outreach aimed at empowering consumers with resources and information to safeguard them against scams, identity theft, and other technology related crimes.
June 7
OCED’s Fresno State Call Center Program Assistants, Claudia Sanchez, and Luz Ezquivel were interviewed on the regional, bilingual radio station "Radio Bilingüe" about their ongoing efforts to connect households in the region with affordable internet and computers. The
Fresno State Call Center is closing the digital divide in the San Joaquin Valley by connecting households to low-cost internet services and free laptop computers. Our team facilitates eligible options to clients based on their zip code. Prices start as low as $9.95/month. For more information call (559) 278-0702.
June 13
OCED’s Executive Director, Ismael Herrera and San Joaquin Valley Rural Development Center Director, Eduardo Gonzalez attended a meeting at the Fresno Council of Governments to acquire updates on the proposed merger between T-Mobile and Sprint. T-Mobile representatives provided an overview of the pending customer service center planned for operation in the rural Fresno County community of Kingsburg, CA. It is anticipated that the facility will offer employment to 1,000 individuals and provide a significant economic impact on the region.
June 15
OCED’s Fresno State Call Center Program Assistants, Claudia Sanchez, and Luz Ezquivel promoted the availability of low-cost internet and free computers at the Fresno Mexican Consulate’s recent community health fair event.
June 19
OCED’s Executive Director, Ismael Herrera and San Joaquin Valley Rural Development Center Director, Eduardo Gonzalez participated in a Digital Inclusion Roundtable convened in Sacramento, CA by the California Emerging Technology Fund, California Forward, and the California Economic Summit. Participants included representatives from various State agencies (ARB, CDFA, CDT, CPUC, CalTrans, CTC, and OES), internet service providers (AT&T, CENIC, Frontier, GeoLinks, Spectrum, VAST, and Verizon), regional broadband consortia, metropolitan planning organizations (COGs), local government associations (CA League of Cities and RCRC). Topics of discussion and planning included “dig once” strategies along identified strategic transportation corridors, available infrastructure mapping barriers, further AgTech deployment opportunities, among others. A lunch keynote address was provided by Lenny Mendonca, Governor Newsom’s Chief Economic and Business Advisor, who articulated the importance of broadband in the State’s economic development goals for all regions of California.
June 20-21
OCED’s San Joaquin Valley Rural Development Center Director, Eduardo Gonzalez and Fresno State Call Center Program Assistant Claudia Sanchez participated in the California Emerging Technology Fund’s (CETF) 11th Learning Community statewide convening in Los Angeles, CA. The 2-day event was co-hosted in conjunction with Charter Communications and Frontier Communications. Representatives from both Internet Service Providers were in attendance to discuss various outreach methods and new adoption strategies on how to get more community members in the San Joaquin Valley region to adopt low-cost internet services. OCED joined other community based partners from throughout the state to discuss strategies and report on progress to date.
June 28
OCED’s Fresno State Call Center Program Assistants, Claudia Sanchez, and Luz Ezquivel conducted community outreach at Cost Less Food Company, a local grocery store in Corcoran, CA. They provided information about the availability of low-cost internet services and free laptop computers.