San Diego launches broadband master plan to expand high-speed internet access
Updated
Updated · The San Diego Union-Tribune · Apr 30
San Diego launches broadband master plan to expand high-speed internet access
7 articles · Updated · The San Diego Union-Tribune · Apr 30
The 293-page plan targets 86,000 households lacking high-speed service, including 18,000 with no internet at all, with the deepest gaps in San Ysidro and southeastern San Diego.
It seeks lower prices by boosting competition, easing permits, negotiating bulk rates for subsidized housing and encouraging providers to offer discounts in low-income areas.
Officials say the digital divide worsened after 2024 federal subsidies ended for 104,000 low-income households; the plan also proposes expanding free wifi, hotspot lending and a regional digital equity coalition.
With federal subsidies gone, can San Diego's plan truly replace the lost aid for 104,000 low-income households?
Beyond infrastructure, how will the city bridge the digital skills gap to ensure every resident can actually benefit from a connection?
San Diego wants more internet choice, but will a pending ISP merger create a new monopoly and erase any progress?