The City of San Diego has released a comprehensive Broadband Master Plan aimed at expanding high-speed internet access, improving affordability and advancing digital equity citywide. The initiative comes as data shows significant disparities in broadband access and internet affordability across San Diego, including areas such as San Ysidro where more than 40% of households lack a broadband subscription.

“Reliable, affordable internet access is essential to how San Diegans learn, work, receive health care and connect with important services," said Mayor Todd Gloria. "This plan gives the City a long-term strategy for closing the digital divide, focusing our efforts on communities that have been left behind and building partnerships that can help us expand opportunity for every San Diegan.”

Developed over the course of four years, the Broadband Master Plan aims to position San Diego to explore public-private partnerships and identify how municipal resources and public assets can be used to expand connectivity. In the context of municipal budget constraints, it includes thoughtful recommendations for how to use limited public resources most effectively and seek external support to scale up impacts.

The Broadband Master Plan also serves as an analysis of San Diego’s broadband landscape and a roadmap to ensure all residents have access to reliable, high-quality, affordable internet service. The effort focuses on increasing broadband access, identifying high-priority areas for targeted digital equity investments, advancing infrastructure, and fostering partnerships that support digital opportunity and economic growth across all communities.

“At its core, this effort is about equity,” said City Chief Information Officer Jonathan Behnke. “We are committed to understanding the barriers residents face and delivering solutions that ensure everyone can fully participate in today’s digital world.”

The plan was developed through a multi-phase process that included extensive data collection and community engagement, with local community-based organizations reaching more than 13,000 people across San Diego through surveys, focus groups, community events, workshops, door-to-door outreach and other efforts. Funding for the project came from a $500,000 State of California Local Agency Technical Assistance grant.

Through the engagement process, residents shared their experiences with internet access, affordability, devices and digital skills, while also receiving information about available broadband resources and hands-on technical assistance. The City continues to partner with these community-based organizations – including Casa Familiar, the County Black Chamber of Commerce, City Heights Community Development Corporation, Sherman Heights Community Center, Somali Family Service, Urban Collaborative Project and the San Diego Housing Commission – to ensure outreach reflects the needs and experiences of diverse communities.

This plan builds on the City’s existing SD Access 4 All program, which provides immediate, on-the-ground connectivity and technology resources for San Diego residents such as open Wi-Fi at over 350 locations including libraries, parks and community centers, low-cost computers for eligible households, and mobile hotspot lending programs through public libraries. While SD Access 4 All provides San Diegans with immediate short-term internet access, the Broadband Master Plan proposes strategies to ensure all San Diegans can enjoy sustainable, long-term connectivity.

The Broadband Master Plan aligns with the City’s broader goals of equity, sustainability and economic resilience. By improving access to affordable, high-speed internet, the City aims to strengthen connections to telehealth, remote learning, workforce opportunities, and essential services.

Residents and stakeholders are encouraged to learn more and participate in shaping the future of connectivity in San Diego by visiting the City’s Broadband Master Plan webpage.