The California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) has approved $3.29 million in grants from the California Advanced Services Fund (CASF) Broadband Adoption Account to support 21 projects aimed at expanding digital literacy training and public broadband access across the state.
These grants will fund 18 digital literacy projects and three broadband access initiatives, serving an estimated 16,145 Californians. The projects are expected to provide digital literacy training to 5,345 participants and deliver broadband access to 10,800 additional community members in underserved areas. Communities benefiting from these programs include those in Alameda, Monterey, Orange, Riverside, Sacramento, San Benito, San Diego, San Francisco, San Mateo, Santa Barbara, Santa Clara, Santa Cruz, Ventura, and Yolo counties.
Among the approved organizations are:
– American GI Forum Education Foundation of Santa Maria: $180,325 for digital literacy and data skills training for veterans in Santa Barbara and Ventura counties.
– Cyber-Seniors: $751,780 for five Connected Communities digital literacy projects serving older adults in Alameda County, Orange County, Riverside County, San Francisco, and San Jose.
– Daly City Peninsula Partnership Collaborative: $231,050 for digital literacy training tailored to seniors, immigrants, and low-income residents in Northern San Mateo County.
– Genesis Community Foundation: $1.2 million for eight Golden Bridge Program projects supporting seniors, low-income residents, justice-involved youth and high school students in Sacramento.
– HOPE Center of Orange County: $140,532 for digital literacy training for individuals experiencing homelessness in North Orange County.
– International Rescue Committee – San Jose Office: $154,481 for digital literacy training to refugees and immigrants in Santa Clara County.
– International Rescue Committee – San Diego Office: $169,890 for workforce-oriented digital skills training for refugees and immigrants in San Diego County.
– Monterey Bay Economic Partnership: $463,644 to establish free public broadband access sites in Monterey Bay region counties.
Each participant of the digital literacy projects will receive at least eight hours of instruction. The broadband access projects will create community hubs offering free public Wi-Fi and equipment.
Commissioner Darcie L. Houck said: “California has made significant investments in deploying broadband infrastructure but delivering on the statewide goal of Broadband for All also requires lowering the barriers many Californians face in accessing internet services or using the internet effectively. These awards will support organizations across 14 counties in conducting digital literacy initiatives serving critical vulnerable populations and enabling public access to broadband in communities with significant need.”
The July 2025 grant cycle also included another 92 projects that met ministerial review criteria; these will receive up to $10.13 million from the Adoption Account. These additional awards involve nonprofit groups as well as schools and local governments such as Irwindale and Long Beach cities along with Napa and Sierra counties. Collectively they aim to provide digital literacy training to over 17 thousand people while supporting more than four thousand new broadband subscriptions.
Combined with today’s Commissioner-approved awards from CPUC’s vote:
– Up to $13.4 million will be invested through this cycle
– Digital literacy training is planned for nearly 23 thousand Californians
– Broadband access is projected for over 24 thousand participants
– More than five thousand new broadband subscriptions are anticipated
The CASF Broadband Adoption Account was established by CPUC with a focus on increasing after-school or publicly available broadband options especially targeting low-income communities or those facing other barriers.
For Fiscal Year 2025–2026 CPUC allocated $30 million toward further advancing statewide adoption efforts. Grant recipients must start their work within six months after submitting consent forms; all funded work should be completed within two years with required progress reports submitted regularly.
The CPUC regulates utility services throughout California including consumer protection measures related to telecommunications infrastructure.
