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Round-Up for the Week of April 15-19, 2024

The U.S. Virgin Islands' Next Generation Network (viNGN) released the draft U.S. Virgin Islands Digital Equity Plan (USVIDEP) for public comment. Being disconnected from a connected world is not new to the U.S. Virgin Islands. The USVIDEP presents an ambitious approach to how the Territory can become "digitally resilient" and fully participate in this digital age through intentional investments in affordable, reliable internet; devices; opportunities to develop digital skills and access technical support; inclusive, online territorial resources; and how to be safe online. Public comment on USVIDEP will be accepted by viNGN until April 27, 2024.

The USVI's Vision for Digital Equity

The vision of the USVIDEP is to create a Territory that is digitally resilient. One where Virgin Islanders have access to the same range of digital resources as Mainlanders, without having to leave the Islands to “experience the internet.” To achieve this ambitious vision, the USVIDEP strives to ensure that all Virgin Islanders have affordable, high-speed internet—both in their homes and at the places where they gather; and the digital tools, devices, resources, and cyber protection to fully participate in an evolving digital world.

Digital equity and inclusion for the Virgin Islands would mean that all Virgin Islanders do not have to worry about whether their internet is fast enough or whether they can afford the internet subscription that best fits their family’s needs. It would mean that all Virgin Islanders could afford to own the devices that would help them meet their educational, health, and workforce goals, as well as their aspirations for a better quality of life. It would mean that all Virgin Islanders felt comfortable using the internet for their basic needs like banking and talking with a doctor and could even incorporate the internet into how they farm, celebrate their culture, and preserve their environment.

Confronting the socioeconomic digital divide, which is the direct product of generations of systematic exploitation, extraction, and disenfranchisement of Virgin Islanders, is central to the USVIDEP’s vision. Successful achievement would mean that the Territory meets and actively practices the three pillars of digital inclusion and has fostered a digital economy that will help to shift the Territory’s reliance on tourism. The latter is crucial, not only to the sustainability of digital equity and inclusion initiatives in the U.S. Virgin Islands, but also for meeting the Territory’s formidable workforce needs and development efforts for building a knowledge-based workforce and economy. The creation of a new digital economy would entice current residents to remain in the Territory and would attract the Virgin Islands Diaspora, who migrated to the U.S. Mainland in search of better economic prospects, to return home for comparable job opportunities.

Covered Populations and Barriers to Digital Equity

By the Digital Equity Act’s definitions, all Virgin Islanders belong to one covered population and 71 percent of Virgin Islanders belong to at least two. Barriers are organized by the five components of digital equity as defined in the Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO) for the State Digital Equity Planning Grant Program and have been exacerbated by the fact that the Territory was still in a state of recovery post-Hurricanes Irma and Maria before the COVID-19 pandemic. Together these barriers directly impact the Territory’s ability to meet economic and workforce development goals, improve educational and health outcomes, promote civic and social engagement, and deliver other essential services.

Barriers Faced by All Covered Populations

The lack of affordable high-speed broadband internet in homes and the absence of community centers, which would allow more Virgin Islanders access to the internet they may not have in their homes, have severely impacted the availability of affordable fixed and wireless broadband technology in the Territory. The cost of a home internet subscription is a challenge for many a Virgin Islander, as are slow internet speeds compounded by few internet service provider (ISP) options, unreliable infrastructure, mountainous geography, and inclement weather which can cause long-lasting service outages for large parts to the Territory at any given time.

Low access to and usage of devices of productivity—i.e., laptops and desktop computers—has limited the availability and affordability of consumer devices and technical support for those devices in the U.S. Virgin Islands. A lack of (authorized) device retailers on-island, repair and maintenance services, poor range of device options, device shortages, higher device costs compared to the mainland U.S., and poor knowledge/skills on how to set up new devices, or who to contact when in need of
technical support has further compounded this issue.

Unorganized, difficult-to-navigate, and siloed online government websites, not all of which are inclusive of non-English speakers or people with disabilities have restricted the online accessibility and inclusivity of public resources and services. A lack of local information technology (IT) personnel and expertise to assist government agencies with developing inclusive websites, or assisting the public with navigating online public services, persists as a barrier to full access and inclusivity.

The absence of digital programs and initiatives for the various demographics of Virgin Islanders on digital literacy and skills is the single biggest challenge to improving the digital skills (literacy) of the Virgin Islanders. A lack of trained staff to facilitate such trainings, tutors to support online course offerings, and understanding of the value of such programs makes introducing digital skills programming a more difficult, but not impossible, endeavor in the Territory when compared to other parts of the U.S.

Lastly, many Virgin Islanders do not know how to, or understand the importance of, protecting themselves online which prevents them from using measures to secure their online privacy. A lack of experience with identifying phishing and scams, leading to an increased risk of falling victim to these fraudulent practices, is an issue in the Islands and the newly formed Virgin Islands Cybersecurity Advisory Council has a big task ahead to bring the Territory up to speed.

Barriers Faced by Specific Covered Populations

In addition to the cross-cutting barriers to digital equity faced by all Virgin Islanders, community listening sessions and key informant interviews revealed several added burdens for specific covered populations:

• People living with disabilities require access to steady, reliable electricity and internet to power assistive devices, most of which come with higher costs and there may not be a full range of options in the Territory.
• Older adults need age-appropriate digital literacy and skills training, a better understanding of online scams/fraudulent practices that target their demographic, and assistance with overcoming generational fears of technology.
• Those impacted by the justice system need large-screen devices to take classes—e.g., a high school equivalency diploma. Those in re-entry programs need one-on-one support (like tutors or case managers) with online trainings and organizations running re-entry programs need funding to procure/offer online courses to those impacted (like nationally certified trade courses).
• People with language barriers in the Territory lack language-inclusive device support, digital skills training, and online public resources, especially if they speak Haitian or Dominican Creole.
• Lastly, due to their age, many of the Territory’s veterans require one-on-one, in-person support to help navigate online courses or access telehealth resources.

Implementation Strategy and Objectives

The USVIDEP acknowledges that the anticipated digital equity funding for the Territory will not be sufficient to reach all Virgin Islanders with this ambitious Plan. The USVIDEP also identifies other federal funding opportunities that may be leveraged towards achieving the Territory’s vision of digital equity, as well as public-private partnerships to continue the work after federal funds have been expended. Ultimately, the USVIDEP focuses on investing in the following strategies to break down the barriers to access, affordability, and adoption faced by covered populations across the Territory:

Strategy 1: Focus on addressing internet affordability in the Territory

The Territory must focus its attention on strategies and initiatives that can improve the affordability of high-speed broadband internet as high monthly subscription costs remain a significant barrier for most Virgin Islanders. These will include:

• Ramping up enrollment of eligible households across the Territory in the ACP to increase home broadband adoption through targeted outreach, like to University of the Virgin Islands (UVI) students, more than half of which are federal Pell Grant recipients and, thus, eligible to receive the federal discount.
• Expanding access to free high-speed internet via ARPA-funded community WiFi hotspots across the Territory.
• Providing free one-year, high-speed home internet subscriptions to Virgin Islanders who successfully complete digital skills training(s) with proven community partners like UVI Center for Excellence in Leadership & Learning (CELL). By using a Learn2Earn model, Virgin Islanders across all eight covered populations will not only be able to learn new marketable skills but will also be able to earn free home internet subscriptions.
• Exploring best practices and other policy solutions, programs, and pilots that could provide support to households if ACP is not funded beyond 2024.

Strategy 2: Offer a robust range of affordable devices to Virgin Islanders

Given Virgin Islanders' low access to, and usages of, affordable devices of productivity; as well as the lack of (authorized) device retailers and on-island technical support, the Territory must ensure that a robust range of devices are accessible and affordable within the Territory from medical and educational to large-screen devices of productivity. These will include:

• Distributing free or low-cost computer devices that meet users’ needs to Virgin Islanders who successfully complete digital skills training(s) with proven community partners. By using a Learn2Earn model, Virgin Islanders across all eight covered populations will not only be able to learn new marketable skills but will also be able to earn free or low-cost computer devices.
• Partnering with proven community-led device refurbishing programs on the Mainland to train organizations locally on how to set up, run, and sustain a device refurbishment ecosystem in the U.S. Virgin Islands including device programs for low-income families.
• Collaborating with UVI CELL to offer (or create) an IT support certification and incentive program to build a cadre of IT professionals who can provide community IT support services.
• Partner with proven community partners, like AARP-VI and older adult housing communities, to offer basic computer device training and who to contact when in need of technical support.

Strategy 3: Introduce Learn2Earn digital skills programs across the Territory

Learn2Earn has been a successful model for conducting digital skills programs across the U.S. by providing an incentive for enrolling, attending, and successfully passing multi-day courses. In a Learn2Earn model, Virgin Islanders across all eight covered populations will not only be able to learn new marketable skills but will also be able to earn free home-internet subscriptions and/or devices upon successful completion of the course.

Courses can range from how to monitor glucose levels at home for older adults to how to set up an online marketplace for small local business owners. By investing in this strategy, the USVIDEP should have a direct impact on several of Vision 2040’s “aspirational goals” including an increased focus on healthcare and health sciences (Goal 3) and support for entrepreneurs to scale their businesses (Goal 4).

Strategy 4: Launch territory-wide education and information campaigns

In the hierarchy of Virgin Islanders’ online concerns, online security and privacy have been among the lowest on the list. In fact, only one of the more than 50 individuals who participated in any of the six community listening sessions and digital equity workshops expressed concern about data privacy or the ability of Virgin Islanders to identify false/fake information online.

This does not mean that Virgin Islanders do not want or need support on how they stay safe while being online. For example, in 2018, the V.I. Water and Power Authority (WAPA) fell victim to an email scam when it authorized “two wire transfers—totaling more than $2 million—to an offshore account;” and in 2017 the V.I. Police Department (VIPD) had a “personal data breach involving police-maintained information.”

The Territory will develop and launch an inclusive, mass media campaign for Virgin Islanders about online scams, phishing, and other security threats. The campaign will use various media—including public service announcements (PSAs), digital ads, radio and TV spots, flyers, and guest spots on local programming—to engage and inform the community around these issues.

Strategy 5: Leverage and create new partnerships

The Territory has a wealth of proven partners that are trusted by the community to deliver and support a range of services. Using digital equity funding, the Territory’s DE Team will design a grant opportunity whereby these community partners can apply to receive funding for programs that directly serve the Territory’s covered populations. These organizations and programs funded would contribute towards achieving the USVIDEP’s key performance indicators (KPIs) outlined in Section 2.3: Measurable Objectives.

Additionally, there are several areas of focus for outreach and partnership development that will be prioritized over the next year that were identified but not fully explored during this planning process. These areas and partners include:

• School Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM) clubs like the Rays STEM Club at Ivanna Eudora Kean High School on St. Thomas.
• Lutheran Social Services and other faith-based organizations providing vital services to the Territory’s covered populations, namely older adults.
• Virgin Islands Interagency Council on Homelessness and other community organizations that served the Territory’s unhoused population.
• Children and youth summer camps and academies like UVI Research and Technology Park (RTPark) coding camp for children, called VI STEM Kids; and Girls that Code – USVI, a free academy hosted by UVI that aims to teach girls in grades 6th through 12th about computer science while fostering sisterhood and creativity; the St. Croix Environmental Association (SEA) Summer Program, and UVI’s Youth Ocean Explorer Summer Program, which is a 4-week, hands-on marine science program for middle to high school-aged students interested in exploring our oceans.
• My Brother’s Workshop, a non-profit organization that offers programs in engineering, manufacturing, product packaging, inventory, and graphic design.
• The Office of Health Information Technology (OHIT) and OHIT Working Group to support an integrated healthcare system that uses technology to improve the health and wellness of U.S. Virgin Islands residents.
• Department of Planning and Natural Resources (DPNR) on library initiatives and community-based, environmental conservation tech programming.

Lastly, creating new partnerships with organizations working on digital equity across the U.S. will be crucial to importing new ideas, methodologies, and evidence-based programming into the Territory. The Territory’s DE Team has already begun to build partnerships with Mainland-based organizations implementing digital inclusion programs that could be emulated in the Territory. Initial discussions have begun with the Durham County Library in North Carolina (for library-based digital inclusion programs, STEM-based programming for youth, and tech mobiles), the Kramden Institute in North Carolina and Digitunity in New Hampshire (on how to create a device refurbishment ecosystem in the Territory), Hopeworks in Pennsylvania (on technology skill development and real-world job experience for young adults), and PCs for People in Minnesota (on procuring and providing low-cost devices). Additionally, the Territory’s DE Team is also part of the NTIA Islands Cohort, a digital equity working group of all the American Territories – i.e., American Samoa, the Commonwealth of North Mariana Islands (CNMI), Guam and the USVI.

Strategy 6: Expand the foundation for promoting and advancing digital equity in the U.S. Virgin Islands

As digital equity and inclusion initiatives are in their infancy in the Territory, the U.S. Virgin Islands must invest in the core capacity, tools, and resources to help promote and advance digital equity across the Islands. These investments should include sustaining and expanding digital equity staffing at the local government level and adjusting program funding to ensure that a digital equity lens is being incorporated when making program decisions and prioritizing investments. Another key element – establishing a Digital Equity and Inclusion Director for the Territory – has already been completed. Additionally:

• A USVI Digital Equity and Inclusion (USVI-DEI) Council will be established to steer and coordinate digital equity efforts across the Territory, as well as to advise local government agencies on best practices and programs.
• Digital equity resources, including programmatic best practices, will be collected, developed, and made freely available online to support digital inclusion activities and programs locally.
• Virgin Islanders will continue to be engaged on digital equity via a range of outreach and engagement methods. These could include annual workshops for local organizations offering digital equity programming to social media campaigns around digital inclusion themes and ideas.
• The impact of digital equity initiatives will be measured and tracked in the Territory to demonstrate the impact of these programs locally.

Strategy 7: Sustain and grow the Territory’s investment in digital equity

The Territory’s commitment to digital equity requires a significant and ongoing commitment of resources to tackle a digital divide that has been exacerbated by a history of exploitation and extraction with low investment in the local economy and skill. To activate and sustain digital equity and inclusion initiatives, the Territory will need to raise funding beyond what may be available from the federal government. The USVIDEP’s goals and strategies will be expanded beyond the Digital Equity Capacity Grant Program performance period by establishing a Digital Equity Endowment for the Territory and revenue generation opportunities. The Territory's aim is to raise $5 million for the endowment over three years through private and philanthropic means, some of whom have already expressed interest in such a fund. The Territory will also pursue future digital equity funding opportunities that would bolster USVIDEP’s goals and strategies as they arise.

Lastly, the Territory’s DE Team will explore creating state-of-the-art digital learning labs where Virgin Islanders can log on to free high-speed broadband internet, experiment with digital devices and new technologies, and build or hone their digital skills. These community-led spaces will provide a safe and engaging environment for all Virgin Islanders to acquire new skills related to education, healthcare, workforce development, civic and social engagement, food sovereignty, and cultural expression.

Goals and Measurable Objectives

The success of the USVIDEP will be measured by documenting and promoting the five digital equity goals outlined by the NTIA under the Digital Equity Act:

Goal #1: Improve the availability of affordable fixed and wireless broadband technology in the U.S. Virgin Islands.

Strategy: Per the FCC Connect USVI Fund Stage 2 grant, Broadband VI (“Liberty VI”) must build/expand a FTTH network to serve 46,039 locations through St. Croix, St. John, and St. Thomas with 1 gigabit per second (Gbps) speeds by 2027.

• Key Performance Indicator( KPI): 100 percent of the requisite number of locations in the Territory will be offered 1 Gbps of services by the end of the sixth year.
• Near term: 40 percent of the requisite locations in the Territory will be offered services by December 31, 2024.
• Long term: 100 percent of the requisite locations in the Territory by December 31, 2027.
• Baseline data: 46,039 locations with speeds below 1 Gbps

Strategy: Ramp up enrollment of eligible households across the Territory in the ACP to increase home broadband adoption through targeted outreach.

• KPI: Increase the number of eligible households enrolled in the ACP by 10 percent per year for the next 3 years.
• Long-term: All eligible and interested Virgin Islands households will be enrolled in ACP.
• Baseline: 6,780 households

Strategy: Expand access to free high-speed internet via ARPA-funded community WiFi hotspots across the Territory.

• KPI: Increase the number of free community Wi-Fi hotspots across the Territory to 200 by the end of September 2025.
• Baseline: 90 community WiFi hotspots

Strategy: Provide one-year, high-speed home internet subscriptions for free to Virgin Islanders who successfully complete digital skills training(s) with proven community partners like UVI CELL.

• KPI: Decrease the percentage of households in the U.S. Virgin Islands without high-speed internet in their home from 20.8 to 12 percent by 2029.
• Baseline: 20.8 percent of households in the U.S. Virgin Islands do not have high-speed internet in their home.

Strategy: Explore best practices and other policy solutions, programs, and pilots that could support households if ACP is not funded beyond 2024.

• KPI: Decrease the cost of 1 Mbps (download) in the Territory from $0.90 to no more than $0.60 by 2029.
• Baseline: The cost of 1 Mbps (download) from either of the two major ISPs in the Territory is $0.90 as of March 21, 2024.

Goal #2: Improve the availability and affordability of consumer devices and technical support for those devices.

Strategy: Distribute free or low-cost computer devices that meet the user’s needs to Virgin Islanders who successfully complete digital skills training(s) with proven community partners.

• KPI: Distribute 3,500108 free or low-cost devices of productivity that meet users’ needs (refurbished and new) based on a Learn2Earn model.
• No baseline data

Strategy: Partner with proven community-led, device refurbishing programs on the Mainland to train organizations locally on how to set up, run, and sustain a device refurbishment ecosystem in the U.S. Virgin Islands.

• KPI: Secure 500 donated devices from local businesses, institutions, and agencies to be refurbished.
• No baseline data

Strategy: Collaborate with UVI CELL to offer (or create) an IT support program to build a cadre of IT professionals in the Territory.

• KPI: Increase the cadre of IT professionals in the Territory by at least 100 percent by 2029.
• Baseline: 20 IT jobs were available in the Territory as of October 2020, according to the Virgin Islands Department of Labor (VIDOL).

Goal #3: Improve the online accessibility and inclusivity of public resources and services.

Strategy: Consolidate all the Territory’s online public resources under one top-level domain for better security and user experience.

• KPI: All public resources in the Territory are accessible online and under one top-level domain by 2029.
• Baseline: To be determined by the Bureau of Information Technology (BIT) after analysis of online public resources in the Territory under the NTIA State and Local Cybersecurity Grant Program (SLCGP) grant.

Strategy: Conduct a user-focused accessibility audit of all online public resources across the Territory to identify gaps and areas for improvement.

• KPI: Audit is conducted, a catalogue of public resources is created, and gaps/recommendations are provided to BIT, relevant local gov’t agencies, and the public by 2029.
• Long-term: Recommendations are adopted resulting in all the top public resources most used by Virgin Islanders being user-friendly and inclusive.
• Baseline: Audit will determine the baseline data upon which improvements can be made.

Goal #4: Improve the digital skills (literacy) of Virgin Islanders.

Strategy: Use proven community partners, like UVI CELL, to introduce Learn2Earn digital skills programs so that all Virgin Islanders can acquire new marketable skills while earning a free or low-cost device and a 1-year broadband internet subscription.

• KPI: Provide 3,500 Virgin Islanders with digital skills training by 2029.
• No baseline data

Strategy: Use proven community partners, like UVI CELL, to introduce Learn2Earn digital skills programs so that all Virgin Islanders can acquire new marketable skills while earning a free or low-cost device and a 1-year broadband internet subscription.

• KPI: Increase the confidence of Virgin Islanders in using the internet for activities like filing official documents online and seeking medical care from 46 and 44 percent, respectively, to 75 percent by 2029.
• Baseline: Only 46 percent of USVIDES respondents said that they were “comfortable” filing official documents online and only 44 percent said that they were “comfortable” seeking medical care or engaging in telehealth consultations.

Goal #5: Improve the awareness and use of measures to secure the online privacy of, and cybersecurity with respect to, the individual.

Strategy: Launch territory-wide education and information campaigns on the value of the internet and how to stay safe online.

• KPI: Develop campaign materials in English, Spanish, and Creole and distribute to the community.
• Near-term: Materials are developed, translated, and disseminated by 2025.
• Long-term: At least half of the population of Virgin Islanders aged 18 years (35,000 people) are reached by at least one campaign material by 2029.
• No baseline data

Strategy: Launch territory-wide education and information campaigns on the value of the internet and how to stay safe online.

• KPI: Reach at least 35,000 Virgin Islanders—roughly half of the population aged 18 years and older—with campaign messaging around online data security and privacy by 2029.
• This will include public service announcements (PSAs) in local print newspapers, radio, television, digital billboards, and YouTube by 2025.
• No baseline data

Submit Your Comments on USVIDEP

Public comments on the U.S. Virgin Islands' draft Digital Equity Plan can be submitted to jnbobbit@vingn.com or info@usvideal.com until April 27, 2024. For more information on digital equity in the Territory, visit the viNGN website.

Quick Bits

• All States Now Have NTIA-Approved Digital Equity Plans
• Mapping Broadband: What Does It Mean for Service to Be “Available”?
• As ACP Reality Sets in, Providers Tout Low-Cost Alternatives
• ‘The Internet Is Everything'. What It’s Like To Parent When You Don’t Have Basic Computer Skills
• People tell FCC that bulk billing 'forces' them to buy cable TV

Weekend Reads (resist tl;dr)

• Telecom fights price caps as U.S. spends billions on internet access
• 2024 National Findings Report: Creating Thriving Communities Through Civic Participation
• Harmful 5G Fast Lanes Are Coming. The FCC Needs to Stop Them
• Bridging the Gap: Can $90 Billion in Broadband Funding Close the Digital Divide?
• AI makes the fight for net neutrality even more important

ICYMI from Benton

• American Samoa's BROADBANDiNEI Digital Equity Plan
• Digital Skills Foster Confidence in Life
• From Fear to Confidence: Women‘s Journeys Toward Digital Equity
• NTIA Making Resources Available to Help States Turn Digital Equity Plans into Reality
• A Voyage to Digital Equity in the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands

Upcoming Events

Apr 25––April 2024 Open Federal Communications Commission Meeting (FCC)

Apr 25––Work in the age of artificial intelligence (Brookings)

Apr 25––The Impact of High-Speed Internet Access on Incarcerated and Justice-Impacted Individuals (NTIA)

May 15––FCC Tribal Workshop Hosted by the Eastern Shawnee Tribe of Oklahoma (FCC)

May 23––May 2024 Open Federal Communications Commission Meeting (FCC)

Jun 6––June 2024 Open Federal Communications Commission Meeting (FCC)

Jun 6-7––2024 Conference on Artificial Intelligence & Financial Stability (US Dept of Treasury)

Jun 10––Pathways to Affordable Connectivity (ILSR, NDIA)

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