Digital Equity

The Ohio House on Wednesday voted overwhelmingly to send Gov. Mike DeWine a bill to immediately spend $20 million to expand access to broadband Internet in rural and other underserved areas.

Residents will be eligible to receive federal subsidies for Internet and devices beginning May 12 under a program aimed at helping households struggling to stay connected during the COVID-19 pandemic.

The Federal Communications Commission will start accepting applications on May 12 for its program to help low-income families pay for access to high-speed Internet service during the coronavirus pandemic.

The eighth annual Smart Cities Connect Conference & Expo opened with a panel discussion around digital equity and the need for all communities to expand access to broadband as they emerge from the COVID-19 crisis.

Mayor Brandon Scott recently made two key technology hires – a chief data officer and a director of broadband and digital equity – that will help to address the city’s data needs and digital divide.

Director of Digital Inclusion, Detroit

Connecticut's public schools are leading the way in digital education during the COVID-19 pandemic.

The COVID-19 pandemic and the push to virtual learning has highlighted existing inequities in access to technology and connectivity, as well as underlined cybersecurity gaps in education.

Before the coronavirus sparked shutdowns throughout North Texas, Dallas city officials greenlit a pilot program in which library patrons could borrow a mobile Wi-Fi device for up to a month.

With the start of the school year just weeks away, Philadelphia city officials on Thursday announced a plan to provide free Internet access for 35,000 low-income families who currently lack it.

The stay-at-home edicts at the start of the COVID-19 pandemic this spring made it obvious that thriving communities in Maine need broadband access, yet for scores of small towns, wider Internet access remains impossible.

Cities across the country are trying to get more of their citizens access to the Internet during the COVID-19 crisis, with essential services such as medicine and education moving online as residents stay home.

Work to bridge the digital divide has gained momentum in recent years in state and local government, and it may be boosted further by the novel coronavirus reinforcing the importance of having the Internet at home.

Advocates and government staffers in the broadband and digital equity space say there is a renewed interest in supporting their work, with shelter-at-home orders emphasizing the need to bridge digital divides.

Broadband and Digital Equity Advocate, Boston

At best, data from the Federal Communications Commission tells an incomplete story about broadband in the states. Here's what Wisconsin, North Carolina and West Virginia have done to paint a clearer picture.

Plus, Philadelphia has launched an open data survey; Missouri has built a new website to centralize state government job postings; Pew creates an interactive state debt comparison tool; and more.

Detroit’s Digital Inclusion Officer Joshua Edmonds explains what his role is within city government, why it matters and the creative solutions he’s working on to bridge the digital divide for residents.