Equitable Access California

EQAC is a non-profit 501(c)(3) community based organization that is focusing on bringing broadband and equitable access to the Internet to rural California. Our focus is education and access for all, disaster preparedness and resiliency, and economic development. We are deploying networks that combine land based and satellite based backhauls with solar powered nodes to ensure our networks will work in times of disaster. Many rural unincorporated and often disadvantaged communities also often suffer poor cellular service. During the Walbridge and LNU fires of 2020 and 2021 all communications were down, meaning that fire fighters couldn’t reach each other, evacuation information could not get out, and pockets of residents were left without any way to know what danger was coming or how to respond. During the pandemic education took place online, yet whole communities are unable to get cellular service, wifi or broadband connectivity. EQAC was formed as a charitable and public purpose to fund deployment and access to broadband facilities; fund technology, equipment, content, and training necessary to provide broadband service to unserved and underserved communities, and to disseminate information in order to advance these goals.