LOS ANGELES COUNTY AND WELINK SIGN HISTORIC PUBLIC-PRIVATE PARTNERSHIP TO BRING HIGH-SPEED, LOW-COST INTERNET OPTIONS TO AREAS GREATLY IMPACTED BY THE DIGITAL DIVIDE

L.A. County’s Community Broadband Networks in East Los Angeles/Boyle Heights and South Los Angeles Will Provide New Internet Options for up to 275,000 Households and Small Businesses

The County of Los Angeles’ Internal Services Department (ISD) and WeLink Communications (WeLink) have partnered to bring affordable and reliable broadband internet to underserved areas in East Los Angeles/Boyle Heights and South Los Angeles. These areas have been greatly impacted by the digital divide, which was further heightened by the COVID-19 pandemic. WeLink will offer a ground-breaking low-cost internet plan for qualifying households and ultra-high speed broadband internet across 68 square miles, where there are over 275,000 households and small businesses. The services will feature multilingual support, fixed pricing, and consumer-friendly terms.

The Los Angeles County Community Broadband Networks (CBN) initiative was created to help address the hundreds of thousands of households in the County estimated to be without home internet service. The County’s Board of Supervisors unanimously passed a series of Motions beginning in 2021 to address this issue. ISD was tasked with finding ways to provide reliable broadband internet to low-income communities where over 20% of households do not subscribe to home internet. Through an extensive competitive process, the County selected WeLink as the partner for these first two CBN areas.

WeLink will offer a low-cost home internet plan starting at $25 per month to 50,000 qualified households in South Los Angeles and East Los Angeles/Boyle Heights, surpassing the initial goal in 2022 of serving 12,500 households. They will also offer plans starting at $65 per month to households without qualification requirements. Plans have no promotional rates: Monthly rates, excluding any government fees or taxes, are fixed until at least September 2027.

WeLink offers lightning-fast internet speeds ranging from 500 megabits per second (Mbps) to 2 gigabits per second (Gbps) – up to 20 times faster download speed and up to 100 times faster upload speed than the new Federal Communications Commission broadband benchmark. All plans allow multiple household members to use high-bandwidth applications at the same time, thanks to fast speeds that are the same for both downloads and uploads. Every plan includes unlimited data, a Wi-Fi router, parental controls, and multilingual customer support without credit checks or cash deposits.

“In 2021, I introduced a motion directing Los Angeles County to explore viable options for reliable broadband in our communities impacted by the digital divide. Today, I am thrilled to see the upcoming launch of the Community Broadband Networks, a program in which the County will partner with private internet companies to pilot residential internet services in target communities. In the district I represent, East L.A., Boyle Heights, and Eastside neighborhoods will be the first to participate in the County’s program. Broadband is essential in today’s world, yet there are severe inequities in the availability, reliability, and cost of the internet that will continue to cause disproportionate harm if we do not act. We can’t wait for years or decades to achieve digital equity – we must accelerate our efforts now, with solutions like this public-private partnership. I am also very pleased that the community outreach and support services for the Community Broadband Networks will be provided in multiple languages to reflect Los Angeles County’s vibrant, diverse communities.” – First District Supervisor Hilda L. Solis

“Today, we reaffirm L.A. County’s commitment to ending the digital divide by bringing a truly affordable, world-class broadband option to communities in South LA that have long experienced limited or no internet access. The COVID-19 pandemic made quality internet an undeniable basic necessity. I am proud that we are investing American Rescue Plan Act to expand our efforts to allow every resident to tap into the world of information, connection, and opportunities that internet access provides. This is a significant step, our work is not done. We need our colleagues in the Federal government to take action on fully funding the Affordable Connectivity Program so we can offer internet at no cost to qualifying households who desperately need it.” – Second District Supervisor Holly J. Mitchell

“Think of how many tasks in our daily lives require fast, reliable internet. It is absolutely a game-changer, and soon every Walnut Park family, no matter their economic situation, will have affordable access to it. We’re bridging the gap to the world of opportunities that the internet has to offer.” – Fourth District Supervisor Janice Hahn 

“Internet is an essential utility that Los Angeles households rely on. I applaud Los Angeles County leaders for helping make sure that fast, reliable, and affordable internet is available to families so that they can tap into all that internet access provides, including completing schoolwork to accessing public benefits, important information and financial services. I encourage Angelenos living in the communities of East Los Angeles, Boyle Heights and South Los Angeles to get connected through this vital County program. – Karen Bass, Mayor of Los Angeles

This partnership covers all or portions of these communities in Unincorporated L.A. County or in the City of Los Angeles:

• Supervisorial District 1: East Los Angeles, Boyle Heights, Lincoln Heights, Montecito Heights, and El Sereno;
• Supervisorial District 2: Adams-Normandie, University Park, Historic South-Central, Exposition Park, Vermont Square, South Park, Central-Alameda, Chesterfield Square, Harvard Park, Vermont-Slauson, Florence, Florence-Firestone, Manchester Square, Vermont Knolls, Gramercy Park, Westmont, Vermont Vista, Broadway-Manchester, Green Meadows, Watts, Athens, Willowbrook, and West Rancho Dominguez; and
• Supervisorial District 4: Walnut Park