Empowering Communities: LA’s Streetlights Fuel Digital Access

Empowering Communities: 
LA’s Streetlights Fuel Digital Access 

Community Spotlight: City of Los Angeles Bureau of Street Lighting (BSL) 
 
The City of Los Angeles Bureau of Street Lighting (BSL) is emerging as a critical player in the City’s effort to close the digital divide and expand equitable access to broadband infrastructure. With jurisdiction over more than 200,000 streetlights and 9,000 linear miles of underground conduit in the public right-of-way, BSL is uniquely positioned to support the deployment of scalable and future-proof broadband networks. By leveraging these publicly owned assets and its longstanding operational expertise, BSL is developing a shared infrastructure model that enables affordable middle- and last-mile connectivity, particularly in communities that have experienced historic disinvestment. 
 
Since wireless telecommunications providers began co-locating their small cell equipment on streetlight poles nearly a decade ago, BSL has continuously improved its permitting, engineering, and maintenance practices to facilitate streamlined deployment of wireless infrastructure. Today, there are over 3,500 small cell installations on BSL poles across the city, making it a preferred partner for 5G expansion. However, the co-location model still presents major challenges for new or smaller Internet Service Providers (ISPs), who must bring their own costly underground middle-mile fiber to the pole—often at a price exceeding $1 million per mile in dense urban environments. 
 
To address these barriers and enable broader participation in the broadband marketplace, BSL is building out open-access, fiber-ready conduit infrastructure that can serve multiple public and private users. This model reduces deployment costs, eliminates duplication, and provides more equitable access to high-speed internet in areas where private market incentives have been weak. Notably, BSL has already installed nearly 4 miles of three-inch multi-use fiber conduit in East Hollywood, the Crenshaw Corridor, and Canoga Park. This work has been carried out at a significantly lower cost per mile than private deployments, due to BSL’s ability to avoid costly road closures and permitting delays by using the city’s four-foot-wide sidewalk right-of-way designated for Public Works installations.

BSL and LA DEAL join partners for a site visit to the new CHIRLA building construction site.

In alignment with California’s $3.25 billion Middle Mile Broadband Initiative (MMBI), BSL is actively contributing to key regional middle-mile infrastructure projects. The Bureau recently broke ground on a 13.3-mile open-access middle-mile fiber line along the 110 Freeway Corridor—one of the most digitally disconnected regions in the state. This project, a segment of the State’s Middle Mile Broadband Initiative, was made possible through a joint-build partnership between BSL and the State of California. The resulting will not only provide new backhaul capacity for ISPs through the MMBI program but will also include conduit space for the Bureau’s own smart city and lighting operations. Another project includes BSL’s the integration of fiber-optic conduit into the street lighting design for the Metro East San Fernando Valley Light Rail project, reinforcing the model of “dig once” and reducing future deployment costs. 

BSL crew undergrounds conduit as part of community broadband infrastructure improvements.

In addition to building foundational infrastructure, BSL is piloting two neighborhood-scale “Community Connectivity Projects” in the Crenshaw Corridor and Canoga Park. These pilots, designed in partnership with Cisco and local nonprofit collaborators such as Destination Crenshaw and Connecting Canoga Park, demonstrate how fiber-equipped streetlight infrastructure can support public Wi-Fi, smart city applications, and digital inclusion programming. Each project will provide at least one year of free community internet access while enabling longer-term opportunities for community-run internet services, local business connectivity, and youth training programs in networking and IT. 
 
Central to BSL’s approach is a commitment to equity and data-driven decision-making. In 2023, BSL commissioned the LA County Economic Development Corporation (LAEDC) to produce an in-depth report on digital exclusion in Los Angeles. The resulting Digital Distress Index (DDI) incorporates economic and social indicators to map where connectivity gaps are most acute. High-distress areas were identified in South LA (particularly near the 110 Freeway), Downtown-adjacent neighborhoods, northern San Pedro, and the southern San Fernando Valley. The report found that fully eliminating digital distress in Los Angeles would inject an estimated $30.5 billion in additional annual income into the local economy—underscoring the scale and urgency of the challenge. In some neighborhoods, even a 1% reduction in digital distress could raise average household income by $240 to $325 per year.

BSL and partners stand atop the new CHIRLA building, where rooftop antennas will soon help deliver internet access to surrounding underserved communities.

BSL is actively using the DDI to prioritize infrastructure investments and pilot projects, ensuring that the City’s broadband resources are targeted to communities with the highest need and the most to gain economically. At the same time, BSL is ramping up its internal workforce capacity to meet these new demands. The Bureau has invested in fiber installation training for its crews, acquired specialized equipment for splicing and cable pulling, and launched a dedicated fiber splicing trailer. These steps position BSL to become a fully realized municipally led connectivity infrastructure agency.

BSL is also working to build a sustainable operational model for long-term fiber infrastructure management. By developing a co-location and leasing framework, BSL could generate revenue from providers that use its conduit, supporting maintenance and reinvestment without offering direct end-user service. This approach is consistent with the Bureau’s mission: enabling open access to high-speed internet infrastructure while allowing trusted community partners and private ISPs to focus on service delivery. 
 
Coordination with state and local partners has been essential to BSL’s success. BSL has maintained active alignment with the California Department of Technology, particularly in relation to MMBI implementation and integration of local conduit into the broader state network. Within the City of Los Angeles, BSL is exploring deeper collaboration with departments such as Public Works, Economic and Workforce Development, and the Mayor’s Office to align broadband efforts with broader justice, equity, diversity, and inclusion (JEDI) infrastructure initiatives. A recent motion introduced in City Council District 15 calls for the development of a comprehensive strategy around BSL fiber and its connection to JEDI zones, further signaling the city’s commitment to leveraging digital infrastructure for inclusive economic growth. 
 
BSL’s innovative model—combining physical infrastructure upgrades, inter-agency coordination, data-informed equity analysis, and community-rooted partnerships—offers a replicable framework for cities seeking to close the digital divide. As Los Angeles advances toward universal broadband access, BSL’s leadership in infrastructure deployment will remain a foundational pillar of the city’s long-term digital equity strategy. 
 
In a city as expansive and diverse as Los Angeles, access to reliable, high-speed internet is no longer a luxury—it’s a necessity. From job applications and school assignments to telehealth and public safety alerts, broadband is the invisible infrastructure powering our modern lives. Yet for too many Angelenos, especially in historically underserved neighborhoods, internet access remains out of reach.