DE-CIX, the world’s leading operator of Internet Exchanges (IXs), and Connected Nation Internet Exchange Points (CNIXP), a joint venture between nonprofit Connected Nation and Newby Ventures, are entering a strategic partnership for the establishment and operation of edge IXs in unserved and underserved markets across the US to
The Benton Institute for Broadband & Society’s Visions of Digital Equity project would not be possible without the collaboration of many partners. The project was led by Community Coordinator Andrew Coy, the founder of Initial Velocity. We received invaluable support for the project from The Pew Charitable Trusts’ Broadband Access Initiative.
Our work was informed by discussions with six Community Contributors and their experience with community-based digital inclusion efforts:
We envision two broad uses for these principles: 1) for state offices to devise digital equity plans, ensuring that they meet this moment of ambition and investment; and 2) for community advocates to draw on these principles as measures of the degree to which state officials are being accountable for the planning process and the outcomes of those plans.
Transparency and public accountability are critical to the success of publicly supported digital equity efforts. As noted previously, successful digital equity visioning and planning are inclusive processes that must engage and benefit the people and communities who are meant to be served. It is critical that communities are fully empowered to evaluate and hold accountable those who receive funding to implement solutions.
With this in mind, we offer the following principles:
“Achieving digital equity for all people of the United States requires additional and sustained investment and research efforts,” Congress found in the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act. Without sustained investment in digital adoption and inclusion efforts at the community level, the huge new investments in broadband infrastructure and affordability cannot close the digital divide.
Digital equity visions extend beyond access to broadband and devices to focus on community benefits—programs and activities that respond to community needs as identified by individuals in those communities. A focus on community benefits should help increase understanding of the social impact of programs and policies on the intended communities; achieving community benefits in this way will help increase community indicators of health, financial security, education, and civic engagement.
Digital equity is the product of digital equity ecosystems—that is, the interactions between individuals, populations, communities, and their larger socio-technical environments that all play roles in shaping the digital inclusion work in local communities to promote more equitable access to technology and social and racial justice. Digital equity is not the responsibility of broadband providers or governments alone. All players must understand the local, cultural drivers and social barriers to broadband adoption while taking ownership of the solutions in addressing these barriers.
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