It can be easy take access to quality Internet for granted, and easy to forget the importance of such access. Modern business is powered by quality Internet access and the development of related services and products. Blockbuster companies at Hacienda such as Veeva Systems and Zoho Corporation, for example, have built different success stories out of cloud-based software solutions. The growing Internet of Things requires reliable and speedy Internet access, as does virtually every sector of the economy.

Speedy and reliable Internet access is as important to the community and the larger society as it is to the business sector. Online training, for example, has been a boon for employers. But many others, including non-traditional students and adult learners, have also benefited from the advent of distance learning. Online classes have made it possible for a variety of people, including disabled students and full-time workers, to get an education they might otherwise miss.

Healthcare is increasingly provided via telemedicine, which relies on the Internet and other technologies to provide care for those who might need specialist care from experts outside the region. The new stroke program at Stanford Health Care - ValleyCare Hospital is one example. The program is able to help stroke victims in part by using a TeleNeurology robot, as needed, to connect patients to specialists via web-based videoconferencing.

The Future of Connectivity

Technology and business leaders are looking ahead to eventually enjoying the benefits of the fifth generation of wireless technology, called 5G. "Advances in 5G will support greater bandwidth, capacity for billions of sensors and smart devices, and ultra-low latency necessary for highly-reliable critical communications," Christopher Krebs, the director of the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency at the US Department of Homeland Security, told a Congressional hearing in May. "Autonomous vehicles, critical manufacturing, medical doctors performing remote surgery, and a smart electric grid represent a small fraction of the technologies and economic activity that 5G will support."

True 5G services are available in limited areas only, and are not expected to become broadly available for some time. One problem is that 5G services require many more base stations than 4G, according to the Motley Fool. That makes initial investments in 5G technology much higher than service providers originally expected. Observers expect that the problems with true 5G wireless networks will be resolved within a few years.

Hacienda companies have always had access to a robust infrastructure with the most current, high quality Internet and connectivity services available. Early on in its history, a number of service providers built fiber optic networks within Hacienda. These networks are configured in synchronous optical network format, a redundant circuit which protects against outage due to cable damage or equipment failure.

More recently Hacienda has worked with Philips and the City of Pleasanton in a public-private partnership that is in the process of replacing street lights on the property with innovative SmartPole fixtures that will boost wireless broadband network services. Hacienda works to ensure that companies at Hacienda have access to contemporary connectivity, which not only includes fiber but also goes beyond it. As the sophistication of connectivity increases, so too will Hacienda's support for such services, including 5G.

Working Toward Access for All

Not everyone has sophisticated Internet access, however. Some California residents have no Internet access at all, which is a huge disadvantage for those residents. Applying for a driver's license, registering to vote, applying to college, and looking for employment are among the important activities that are a challenge for those who cannot access the Internet. Nonprofit California Emerging Technology Fund (CETF) is working to ensure that 98% of all California residences in every region have access to broadband infrastructure and to achieve 90% home broadband adoption by 2023.

In March, a statewide survey released by CETF in partnership with the Institute of Governmental Studies at the University of California at Berkeley found that 88% of the state's households have high-speed Internet access at home through either a computing device or a smartphone. Yet 12%, or one in eight homes, still do not have any Internet access. While that number is an improvement over the results from the previous survey, CETF officials say the number of residents without access to the Internet is still too high.

"We have a significant hurdle to overcome to get the lowest-income, least-advantaged Californians connected," according to Sunne Wright McPeak, President and CEO of CETF. "Too many low-income students still are not provided a computing device or allowed to take their school computers home nor are their parents provided digital literacy training, situations that must change if we are going to successfully close the Digital Divide in California."

According to the survey, the lack of high-speed Internet connectivity at home continues to be most directly linked to socioeconomic status. "For example, nearly half of Californians living in households with annual incomes of less than $20,000 or who have not graduated from high school are either not connected to the Internet or are underconnected. More than a third of Spanish-speaking Latinos, residents age 75 or older, and people with disabilities fall into this category."

One unexpected survey result was the environmental benefits of Internet use. According to the survey, Internet use has cut the amount of driving done by respondents. For the first time, the survey asked Californians if home Internet use enabled them to make fewer vehicle trips in a typical month. A majority of the respondents, 62%, said yes. In addition to shopping online (55%), respondents also reported working from home (21%), consulting with a doctor online (18%), and taking an online course (13%).

Quality, contemporary Internet access is an investment in the success of any given community or company. That is why Hacienda has been committed to providing fast, affordable connectivity to tenants and owners from its beginning. Meeting that goal will help improve the lives of residents and strengthen the local economy.

For more information about Hacienda's infrastructure, please visit www.hacienda.org/about/introduction-support.

For more information about the California Emerging Technology Fund, please visit www.cetfund.org.