MPUSD and City of Monterey join 'Get Connected California!' campaign to help close the digital divide

 

Monterey, CA. – The City of Monterey and Monterey Peninsula Unified School District (MPUSD), in collaboration with Monterey County, are joining together in a commitment to help low-income households afford and connect to high-speed Internet service. The goal of the Get Connected California! Affordable Connectivity Program (ACP) is to get 90% of eligible Californians connected by 2024. An estimated 60% of MPUSD families currently qualify for free or reduced lunch - one way to qualify to participate in the ACP. According to the State of California's Broadband for All website, the City of Monterey has 13,681 eligible households, and only 422 enrolled in this program to provide qualifying families affordable, high-speed Internet.  

 

City Manager Hans Uslar said, “Together with our partner MPUSD we are embracing the challenge to close the technology gap so underserved local families can have an equal benefit of the internet for work and school, to boost access to vital resources, and to feel connected and participate in community engagement.”

 

MPUSD Superintendent PK Diffenbaugh is an enthusiastic proponent of this effort as well. “We saw firsthand during the pandemic that many families did not have access to the internet. This statewide initiative is encouraging as it will give a boost to many of our families who need it most. MPUSD is committed to bringing awareness to help families get connected.”

 

Eligible households could receive:

 

• Up to a $30/month discount on your internet service
• A low-cost service plan that may be fully covered through the ACP

 

For eligible households interested in applying for ACP and needing assistance completing the application, enrollment applications will be available in English and Spanish at upcoming events during 2022 and through 2023. Staff will be available to support eligible households, answer questions about the ACP benefit, and provide hands-on assistance with the application. 

 

• Seaside Library, 550 Harcourt Avenue, Seaside, CA 93955, 10:00 a.m. - 2:00 p.m., or;
• Cesar Chavez library-Alisal Room,615 William Road, Salinas, CA 93905, 10:00 a.m. - 2:00 p.m.

 

Families will be required to bring with them the required documents to apply – see flyer in English and Spanish for details.