San Diego County will use a $500,000 federal grant to help more residents access the Internet, officials said this week.
The county received the funds from the Federal Communications Commission as part of the Affordable Connectivity Program, which offers qualifying households a $30 monthly discount on their internet bill. For those living on tribal lands, the discount can be up to $75, according to the county.
Eligible households may also receive a one-time discount of up to $100 to buy a desktop computer, laptop or tablet.
According to the San Diego Association of Governments, more than 453,000 local households qualify for the Affordable Connectivity Program.
The county’s Department of Homeless Solutions and Equitable Communities received the grant, which will cover outreach and allow multilingual health workers to enroll people in a culturally sensitive manner, officials said.
Outreach teams will also focus on rural and urban areas with low rates of internet connectivity, according to the county.
Eligibility qualifications are:
- Households with income at or below 200 percent of federal poverty guidelines.
- Federal Pell Grant recipients.
- Household participating in a government program such as free/reduced school lunch or breakfast, CalFresh, MediCal, federal housing assistance programs or Supplemental Security Income, WIC, veterans pension or survivor benefits.
- Participation in assistance programs like Bureau of Indian Affairs General Assistance, Tribal TANF, food distribution on reservations and Tribal Head Start.
Full qualifying guidelines are online at getinternet.gov/apply.
Other recent county technology expansion efforts include a comprehensive Broadband Plan, and partnering with SANDAG on its Get Connected Campaign, which offers affordable Internet service and digital literacy programs.
