Government Technology

Older adults have long needed help with technology. Because of this dynamic, for many years digital inclusion programs have worked extensively with older adults. Those efforts, however, became impossible to safely conduct at the height of the COVID-19 pandemic. So, advocates in the space had to get creative. Tobey Dichter is the CEO of Generations on Line, with more than 20 years of experience in digital inclusion work with seniors. Dichter’s group offers online tutorials to help those who are connected learn more about how to navigate and stay safe on the Internet.

Tucson Connected, a public-private partnership in Arizona, aims to link the digital inclusion efforts of several entities in a unified effort to reach residents. The project, which launched in the fall of 2021, is meant to unify a number of entities with a stake in increasing regional digital equity and address the barriers impeding Internet adoption. The coalition’s primary focus will be identifying barriers and connecting stakeholders to available subsidies.

For state technology leaders, the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act marks a unique opportunity to move the needle on broadband availability and accessibility. State CIOs and others in state government tasked with promoting connectivity are looking to the $65 billion earmarked for broadband as a key means to help bring affordable Internet to all Americans. Every state will get $100 million to spend on broadband once the money starts flowing, and while the final formulas haven’t been worked out, many states expect to receive significantly more over time.

Digital equity is having a moment. When the COVID-19 pandemic forced the country to stay home in March 2020, the importance of digital equity became clear. While many folks had reliable high-speed Internet in their houses, up-to-date devices for accessing that Internet, and the skills to use it in meaningful ways, but across the country — in rural, suburban and urban communities — there was consistently a remaining percentage who did not.

If one goes by the experience of Georgia, a national leader in broadband mapping, a truth seems evident: A state must, over a lengthy period, negotiate with providers and undergo a trial-and-error technical process in order to complete a map of all the high-speed Internet coverage within its borders. The recent experience of Montana suggests broadband mapping doesn’t have to be as complicated. In less than two months, Montana was able to receive a completed initial coverage map from LightBox — the same company that sold Georgia a master address file for its groundbreaking work.