Digital Equity

A trio of nonprofits has created a new digital online tool enabling companies to measure racial equity and environmental factors when deciding where to locate offices, factories, or other facilities.

A rule from the 2017 Trump administration tax cut could, however unintentionally, discourage certain organizations from applying for federal broadband grants and leave the most remote U.S. populations disconnected.

With a shift to remote learning and work, the COVID-19 pandemic has laid bare the significant gaps in broadband Internet access across the country, and Washington residents are no different.

According to a report that examines the digital divide in St. Louis, between 250,000 and 300,000 households lack access to broadband. Low-income areas in the city face the most digital equity challenges.

Supported by $100 million of charitable investments, plans for the lab will see the country’s preeminent civic tech organization working with 15 state government partners over the next seven years.

Last week, New York City released a digital version of the Mayor’s Management Report. The digital report intends to give residents an easy way to view and compare city agency data.

Three pieces of legislation set to go into effect June 9 in Washington state aim to expand broadband infrastructure, fund more school nurses and counselors, and allow students to miss school for mental health reasons.

The scenic national campground sites in the United States that require highly competitive and hard to get reservations see more white, high-income visitors than campsites that don’t require reservations.

L.A. Metro bucked digital privacy concerns when it turned to technology to monitor and enforce dedicated bus lane rules. The move is a win that places the rights of bus riders above the privacy of offenders.

As government and other groups that work directly with communities across the country increasingly prioritize digital equity, programs to train new experts in the field are steadily growing.

The municipal court in Chandler, Ariz., is expanding its virtual service to better protect survivors of domestic violence through the justice system. The court has teamed up with a local shelter on the project.

Plus, a report details the digital divide in St. Louis, Mo.; a new initiative aims to invest $100 million to fix digital equity in Miami; and a survey finds that as many as 1 million Kansas residents lack Internet.

As part of its continued push for economic growth and development in the city located north of Sacramento, the Marysville City Council on Tuesday approved the deployment of a citywide fiber-optic network.

The Michigan Department of Corrections is expanding the learning management system it first evaluated last year to broaden education opportunities for offenders and better prepare them for their re-entry transition.

Borrowing up to $18.2 million will give Traverse City Light and Power what it needs to expand its fiber-optic network throughout city limits after city commissioners unanimously agreed to authorize the borrowing.

Universities are looking to expand courses hosting asynchronous and synchronous lectures both online and in person to meet student demands for flexible schedules in a post-pandemic landscape.

Four proposals are under consideration in the California Senate and Assembly, ranging from a Digital Equity Bill of Rights to leveling the playing field in education and even in technology itself.

State lawmakers propose addressing digital equity divide issues through a new bill that increases accessibility to different services, training and devices. The legislation awaits the governor’s signature.