IMPACT TO DATE
Since #OaklandUndivided’s inception in 2020, our diverse coalition has mobilized to bridge the digital divide.
GOAL #1
Cradle to Career Student Connectivity: Scale and sustain home digital access from cradle to career for Oakland’s 50,000+ public school students.
>$30M
#OU secures public and philanthropic funding to provide computers and home internet to Oakland’s pre-K to 12th grade public school students who lack home digital access. To date, this includes:
+50,000 computers
+20,000 home internet connections
+20,000 culturally-responsive tech support request responses
#OU partners with Oakland public schools to institutionalize a home digital needs assessment into annual back to school registration. This means Oakland’s schools collect 40,000 Tech Check Surveys every year, empowering schools to respond to any unmet need and keep students connected.
UNIVERSAL
TECH CHECK
GOAL #2
Community-Wide Connectivity: Connect 90% of Oakland’s 37,000 disconnected households to reliable, high-speed internet by 2027.
2020
Launch OakWifi
City Council invests $7.7M of CARES Act funding to launch OakWifi and the TownLink program to provide free public Wi-Fi and digital literacy to residents across Oakland
2021
Oakland is selected for the State’s historic $3.25B investment in open access, backbone broadband infrastructure in Oakland’s most unconnected neighborhoods—West Oakland, Fruitvale, and East Oakland.
Oakland unanimously passes Internet Choice Ordinance, ensuring competitive access in Oakland’s multi-dwelling units
#OU partners with BlocPower to complete a Citywide Broadband Feasibility Study to evaluate approaches and technologies to increase access to reliable, high-speed internet in our highest need communities.
2022
Oakland is awarded a $500k state grant to design an expansive fiber optic network, streamline deployment, and enable public-private partnerships to provide free or low-cost internet.
Oakland is recognized as a National Digital Inclusion Alliance Trailblazing City.
2023
#OU’s Affordable Connectivity Plan Enrollment Campaign nearly doubles enrollment citywide in the $30/month federal benefit, making internet free or lower cost in high poverty communities. These efforts result in an ~800K/month savings for Oaklanders.
Oakland Housing Authority announces the launch of free high-speed internet for all residents at the four largest public housing communities in Oakland for the next 5 years.
#OU conducts one of the nation’s largest internet performance study collecting nearly half a million speed tests at thousands of locations in Oakland, providing definitive evidence of disparate impact.
2024
City of Oakland Awarded Oakland Connect FFA Grant
The California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) voted unanimously to fund Oakland Connect—the City of Oakland’s $15 million grant proposal to expand access to reliable, high-speed internet in East and West Oakland. The project was one of the first 5 projects funded from nearly 500 applications submitted for the State’s once-in-a-generation $2 billion Federal Funding Account Last Mile grant opportunity intended to expand internet access across the State.
Installation and Activation for OHA’s Free Internet Initiative
The Oakland Housing Authority (OHA) began installation and activation, delivering free high-speed internet to 1,100+ households at Oakland’s largest public housing sites.
Awarded NDIA Visionary Trailblazer
City of Oakland named a 2024 Visionary Digital Inclusion Trailblazer by the National Digital Inclusion Alliance (NDIA). This is the third consecutive year that Oakland has been recognized as a national model digital equity ecosystem, and the first year that the Town has achieved Visionary status
2025
Publishes Community Engagement Best Practices
#OU releases a new guide on effective phone banking strategies, highlighting the importance of two-way communication, culturally responsive outreach, and data driven targeting to enhance community engagement. This resource aims to equip organizations with tools to build trust and connect with underserved communities more effectively.
Unanimously Adopted City of Oakland Broadband Master Plan
Oakland City Council unanimously adopts 2025 Broadband Master Plan (BMP). The 102-page plan includes a detailed analysis of the Oakland’s broadband affordability crisis and lays out a long-term vision for OaklandConnect, a publicly owned, high-speed fiber network that will deliver affordable, high-speed internet to thousands of Oakland households in our least connected communities including West Oakland, Fruitvale, and Deep East.
Oakland awarded $12M Digital Equity Competitive Grant
The $12M Bay Area Digital Equity Coalition Competitive Grant was formally recommended for award in January. The project, facilitated by #OU and spearheaded by the Bay Area Council, includes over $6M for Oakland community anchor institutions and community based organizations. The project will support 90,000 Bay Area residents and is one of only 65 projects awarded from over 700 applications to the national Competitive grant program.
