Driving Digital Inclusion
August 19, 2021 by Meredith Trimble
Digital inclusion is an important topic in the public sector, particularly as we emerge from the pandemic with a unique opportunity for transformation for the better. Simply put, digital inclusion is the ability of individuals and groups to access and use information and communication technologies. Now is the time – as jurisdictions invest more heavily in modern digital infrastructures – to make sure digital inclusion is a purposeful part of any public sector tech strategy.
Industry Insight
The National League of Cities (NLC) has discussed digital inclusion in an infrastructure and training context. In an NLC guest blog, Chike Aguh, chief executive officer of EveryoneOn, describes a “three-legged stool of digital inclusion: affordable internet access, a device on which to access the internet, and training on how to use both.”
The National Association of Counties (NACo) is similarly aligned in the importance of helping individuals from minority or low-income populations to gain access to broadband as well as devices. With workers and students alike at home during the pandemic, the dynamic around broadband access changed and increased in urgency. As noted in this NACo County News piece, “When the majority of schools shut down in March [2020], it was not as easy for many students as simply turning on a computer and joining a virtual classroom with a click of the mouse.” In describing digital inclusion initiatives to bridge the digital divide for students in Cook County, Illinois, the article cited the county’s Bureau of Economic Development and Council on Digital Equality data that “found a quarter of the county residents lacked high speed internet while 17% of Black and Latinx families throughout the county lacked computers."
Wi-Fi and Transportation
Rick Usher, assistant city manager of Kansas City, Missouri, has an instructive and inspirational take on digital inclusion – one that includes technology’s part in making cities livable for all residents. “I feel like more of us are finding our humanity and recognizing that the pandemic adversely impacted residents who were already negatively impacted by the economy, systemic racism, and improper health care benefits,” Usher noted.
Kansas City has a number of initiatives underway to help close equity and access gaps. In 2020, the city made public transit zero fare for residents. Along with free Kansas City bus service, the Kansas City streetcar is extending its free route from two miles to six total miles to aid in downtown revitalization, access to services, and access to the University of Missouri Kansas City.
The city’s Wi-Fi network that is built out throughout the downtown area also serves the streetcar corridor. All Kansas City transit buses have Wi-Fi on the bus and even along a new rapid transit line. With a Wi-Fi antenna at each stop, riders can be online while en route.
Resources
To aid in discussion and strategy around digital inclusion for jurisdictions of all sizes, the National Digital Inclusion Network offers a variety of resources including a webinar series, resources on defining digital equity offices, and regular open community calls. Tyler’s Closing the Equity and Access Gap explores specific ways the cloud can help state and local governments overcome challenges making it more difficult to deliver equitable services. The Equity and Recovery Resource Roundup details how the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 provides a new opportunity for state and local governments to use relief funds to invest in technology to facilitate successful reopening and drive equitable service.
Providing the technology needed for fair access to essential government information and services can increase equity and better serve those in need. At the next level, online access to local government can enhance empowerment and transparency for all residents, for example, through self-service portals. Beginning with the foundational elements of digital inclusion, modern technology can truly move the needle in creating fair, equitable, and thriving communities.