High-speed broadband deployment advocacy group Next Century Cities wants the governor to bring the California legislature back for a special session to consider a broadband bill, SB1130.

Under current law, California's broadband deployment plan is that no later than Dec. 31, 2022, the state will approve funding for infrastructure projects "that will provide broadband access to no less than 98% of California households."

Related: California Mandates Close to Digital Divide

The new law would stretch that timeline by two years, but up the ante on what broadband must be deployed. "[N]o later than Dec. 31, 2024, [the state shall] approve funding for infrastructure projects that will provide high-capacity [25 mbps downstream and 25 mbps upstream], future-proof infrastructure, as defined, based on current engineering and scientific information available at the time of program application, to no less than 98% of California households, with a latency that is sufficiently low to allow real-time interactive applications to unserved areas and unserved high-poverty areas, and provide last-mile infrastructure to unserved areas and unserved high-poverty areas."

Next Century Cities argues that the bill is needed to "ensure that California residents have the requisite connectivity to remain safe and fully recover from the pandemic."

"NCC urges the California Governor to reconvene the legislature to evaluate whether SB1130 could help local governments that are working to meet their communities’ broadband needs," it said in a letter Tuesday (Oct. 6) to California governor Gavin Newsom.

California's governor is mandating that his state close the digital divide.

Governor Gavin Newsom has issued an executive order "directing state agencies across government to bridge the digital divide" with a focus on connecting students trying to keep up their studies during the pandemic.

The order includes the creation of a state Broadband Action Plan, a directive that connectivity should be at a minimum 100 Mbps download speeds, and that California conduct its own broadband mapping initiative to identify where broadband is and isn't.

The FCC is coming up with its own regime for better mapping broadband availability, conceding the criticisms from many quarters, including both sides of the aisle on Capitol Hill, that its broadband mapping has been deficient.

Newsom said this week that the state budget is divvying up $5.3 billion in "learning loss mitigation funds" among every local educational agency to support distance learning.

"Because this pandemic has an inequitable impact on communities – including a digital divide in access to technology necessary for distance learning," said Newsom's office, the majority of that money (81%) is targeted to students with the greatest need--low income.

Newsom's new aspirational-sounding statewide requirements, include 1) "Access to devices and connectivity for all kids; "daily live interaction with teachers and other students; "challenging assignments equivalent to in-person classes; "adapted lessons for English-language learners and special education students."

Results from the Trump Administration's most recent internet use study concluded that "a persistent digital divide still exists based on income levels, age groups, and race, among other factors."

HBO will premiere a new episode of its sports/entertainment talk series The Shop: Uninterrupted this Friday (Oct. 25.) 

The new installment of the LeBron James/Maverick Carter-hosted series will feature such guests as California Governor Gavin Newsom, Diddy, Rich Paul, DeMar DeRozan, Rick Rubin, Bill Hader, Jerrod Carmichael and Paul Rivera.

 The HBO series offers unfiltered conversation and debate from the biggest names in sports and entertainment, according to the network.