San Jose launches new fund to bring internet to thousands of off-line homes
On Tuesday, the city of San Jose created the San Jose Digital Inclusion Fund — the largest of its kind in the country. The aim of this fund is to bring broadband access to some 50,000 households over the next decade and teach residents who may be new to the web the digital skills they need to navigate it. The city estimates that, even today, around 95,000 residents have no internet access at home. Longterm, the city wants to close what Mayor Sam Liccardo on Tuesday called a "palpable" digital divide — a divide that puts the opportunities Silicon Valley has to offer out of reach for many residents.