California Emerging Technology Fund

PROVIDE LEADERSHIP STATEWIDE TO MINIMIZE THE DIGITAL DIVIDE BY ACCELERATING THE DEPLOYMENT AND ADOPTION OF BROADBAND AND OTHER ADVANCED COMMUNICATION SERVICES TO UNSERVED AND UNDERSERVED COMMUNITIES.ENSURE THAT CALIFORNIA IS A GLOBAL LEADER IN THE AVAILABILITY AND USE OF BROADBAND TECHNOLOGY.

SINCE INCEPTION, CETF HAS AWARDED MORE THAN $49M IN GRANTS TO COMMUNITY NON-PROFIT ORGANIZATIONS AND PUBLIC AGENCIES, INCLUDING PROVIDING THE SEED CAPITAL TO ESTABLISH THE CALIFORNIA TELEHEALTH NETWORK. CETF ALSO DEVELOPED AND LEADS SCHOOL2HOME WHICH CLOSES BOTH THE DIGITAL DIVIDE AND ACHIEVEMENT GAP IN LOW-PERFORMING MIDDLE SCHOOLS IN LOW-INCOME COMMUNITIES. CETF IN PARTNERSHIP WITH GRANTEES HAS TRAINED ALMOST 1M INDIVIDUALS IN DIGITAL LITERACY AND ASSISTED APPROXIMATELY 500,000 HOUSEHOLDS GET CONNECTED TO AFFORDABLE HOME INTERNET SERVICE.CETF ENTERED INTO MEMORANDA OF UNDERSTANDING (MOU) WITH INTERNET SERVICE PROVIDERS (ISPS) FRONTIER COMMUNICATIONS, INC. (2015) AND CHARTER COMMUNICATIONS, INC. (2016) TO IMPLEMENT PUBLIC BENEFITS AS A RESULT OF CORPORATE CONSOLIDATIONS. IN ADDITION TO SUPPORTING AND MONITORING FULFILLMENT OF THE MOU PUBLIC BENEFIT OBLIGATIONS BY THESE ISPS, CETF IS MANAGING CHARITABLE FUNDS FROM FRONTIER TO ACHIEVE NEW BROADBAND ADOPTIONS BY LOW-INCOME HOUSEHOLDS IN THEIR SERVICE AREAS. CETF ALSO IS RECEIVING $32.5 MILLION ($6.5 MILLION PER YEAR) FROM CHARTER THROUGH 2021 TO CONTINUE CORE MISSION ORGANIZATIONAL OPERATIONS AND SUPPORT SCHOOL2HOME AND OTHER DIGITAL INCLUSION PROGRAMS IN THEIR SERVICE AREAS. THE FRONTIER MOU PUBLIC BENEFIT OBLIGATIONS MANAGED BY CETF WILL CONCLUDE IN FY21-22. CETF IS PROJECTING TO EXPEND THE BALANCE OF THE CHARTER FUNDS IN THE NEXT TWO FISCAL YEAR. IN 2019 CETF ENTERED INTO A MOU WITH T-MOBILE IN CONJUNCTION WITH THEIR ACQUISITION OF SPRINT WHICH BECAME EFFECTIVE IN APRIL 2020 WHEN THE TRANSACTION WAS APPROVED BY THE CPUC. CETF IS RECEIVING $35 MILLION FROM T-MOBILE ($7 MILLION PER YEAR) THROUGH 2024 FOR CORE MISSION AND TO IMPLEMENT SCHOOL2HOME AND DIGITAL INCLUSION PROGRAMS IN THEIR STATEWIDE SERVICE AREA.

PROGRAM MANAGEMENT SERVICES:CETF WAS ENGAGED BY THE CITY OF SAN JOSE THROUGH ACTION BY THE CITY COUNCIL IN FEBRUARY 2019 TO MANAGE APPROXIMATELY $8 MILLION OVER 10 YEARS FOR DIGITAL INCLUSION GRANTS TO NON-PROFIT COMMUNITY-BASED ORGANIZATIONS AND PUBLIC AGENCIES.CETF ALSO SERVES AS FISCAL AGENT FOR LOS ANGELES HOME FOR THE AGING IN MANAGING A GRANT FROM THE FEDERAL COMMUNICATIONS COMMISSION. THE GRANT PROVIDES FUNDING FOR ACTIVITIES AUTHORIZED BY THE COVID-19 TELEHEALTH PROGRAM.