All 50 states, the District of Columbia, and Puerto Rico are currently working on digital equity plans. As they release draft plans seeking public feedback, the Benton Institute for Broadband & Society is sharing summaries focused on how states define their digital divides and their vision for reaching digital equity.

The Mississippi Office of Broadband Expansion and Accessibility of Mississippi (BEAM) released its draft State Digital Skills and Accessibility (DSA) Plan for a 30-day public comment period on January 5, 2024. The Mississippi DSA Plan outlines how BEAM will work towards ensuring broadband accessibility, affordability, digital skills training, and digital opportunities for all citizens. Public comments on the Mississippi DSA Plan can be submitted until February 5, 2024.

Mississippi's Vision of Digital Equity

Mississippi’s vision includes broadband accessibility for all citizens with numerous pathways for continued learning so all can partake of the incredible opportunities available in this digital age. Deployment funded by the federal Broadband Equity and Accessibility Deployment (BEAD) Program will provide affordable high-speed internet access to all Mississippians. Concurrently, the federal Digital Equity State Program will allow Mississippi to leverage existing digital skills and training programs and define new pathways for our citizens to access the ever-growing and changing opportunities provided by technology. This investment in deployment, digital skills training, and increased accessibility is a much-needed investment in Mississippi’s future.

The State of Mississippi has momentum. In 2023, the state saw over $6 billion in new economic development projects within the State. Per capita personal income increased by over 20 percent in the past few years and unemployment remains at an all-time low. Mississippi’s educational gains have been referred to as the “Mississippi Miracle.” Students went from being ranked forty-ninth in 2013 for 4th grade reading to twenty-first in the nation in 2022. In 4th grade math, Mississippi went from dead last to twenty-third. Graduation rates are better than the national average, and students from all walks of life are finding success in Mississippi.

Mississippi is focused on the future, and digital skills and accessibility are the key to solving many of the problems of the past. Device access and high-speed internet availability at every residence will provide our students from pre-k through the graduate level with educational resources never before available. Remote work will give opportunities to those who may have transportation, mobility, or childcare issues that otherwise kept them out of the workforce. Tech jobs will proliferate among our citizens as workforce development programs focus on the skills of the future. Access to telehealth will provide healthcare for those living in remote areas that lack providers, and be a driving force in lowering Mississippi’s high rate of infant and maternal mortality. The prevalence of heart disease, stroke, and diabetes will decrease with access to monitoring and increased methods of intervention. Precision agriculture will exponentially increase crop yields for our farm families. Connectivity will propel our small businesses into the global economy.

The opportunities and benefits of broadband accessibility for all Mississippians are unlimited. The BEAM Office intends to work in partnership with federal, state, and local governments and agencies, nonprofits, educational institutions, associations, and all others to deploy service to all, provide skills training, create pathways for device access, and support ongoing digital learning. Mississippi has momentum, and broadband accessibility will keep that momentum moving.

Covered Populations and Barriers to Digital Equity

Over 92 percent of Mississippians fit the qualifications of one or more of the defined covered populations, well above the average from all fifty states of 81.3 percent. The cost of high-speed internet and the affordability of broadband-enabled devices pose obstacles in the state. According to the U.S. Census Bureau’s 2020 ACS 5-Year Estimates, Mississippi has the highest poverty rate in the nation, with 564,439 people living in poverty, including 889,845 individuals with incomes below 150 percent of the poverty line.

The percentages of each covered population out of Mississippi's total population are as follows:

• Individuals who live in low-income households: 31.1 percent
• Aging individuals: 22.8 percent
• Incarcerated individuals: 1.0 percent
• Veterans: 5.2 percent
• Individuals with disabilities: 17.2 percent
• Individuals with a language barrier: 20.5 percent
• Individuals who are members of a racial or ethnic minority group: 43.7 percent
• Individuals who primarily reside in a rural area: 66.4 percent

BEAM determined that these are the major barriers to broadband adoption for each of the covered populations:

Individuals who Live in Low-Income Households

• The cost of internet is too high
• Unable to afford broadband-enabled devices
• Understanding plan options through ISPs
• Lack of digital skills

Rural Community

• The cost of internet is too high
• Lack of service options
• Lack of digital skills

Aging Individuals

• The cost of internet is too high
• Lack of digital skills
• Unable to afford broadband-enabled devices
• Lack of cyber security knowledge

Incarcerated Individuals

• The cost of internet is too high
• Lack of digital skills
• Lack of devices & access
• Lack of instructors

Veterans

• The cost of internet is too high
• Lack of digital skills
• Lack of service options
• Unable to afford broadband-enabled devices

Individuals with Disabilities

• The cost of internet is too high
• Accessibility issues within website
• Screen readers will not detect if the embedded URL is a scam in turn those who are vision impaired are more susceptible to cyber scams
• Affording assistive technologies
• Lack of digital skills

Individuals with a Language Barrier

• The cost of internet is too high
• Unable to afford broadband-enabled devices
• Lack of digital skills
• Uncertain of eligibility requirements for the Affordable Connectivity Program (ACP)

Racial/Ethnic Minorities

• The cost of internet is too high
• Unable to afford broadband-enabled devices
• Lack of service options
• Unaware of the ACP
• Lack of digital skills

Implementation Strategy and Objectives

BEAM defined four goals and five objectives by engaging with the community through meetings, surveys and focus groups. These directives are poised to guide the state toward the realization of its vision.

1. Increase affordable broadband connectivity.

Objective 1.1 - Ensure all internet service providers who receive funding from BEAM provide a low-cost plan for households and increase participation in the Affordable Connectivity Program (ACP).

Key Activities

• Promote the FCC Affordable Connectivity Program.
• Ensure all grant awardees comply with affordability requirements.

Key Performance Indicators (KPI): Approximately 595,397 households are eligible for ACP.

• Baseline: 228,783 households enrolled
• Near-term target: Increase baseline by 30 percent.
• Long-term target: Increase baseline by 75 percent.

Objective 1.2 - Deploy broadband to all unserved and underserved locations in Mississippi and increase existing and future adoption rates.

KPI: KPIs relating to broadband deployment are included in the State of Mississippi: Five-Year Action Plan.

• Targeted Covered Population: covered households, aging individuals, veterans, individuals with disabilities, individuals with a language barrier, racial/ethnic minorities and rural communities.

2. Make broadband-enabled devices affordable and accessible.

Objective 2.1 - Catalog programs including device donations, lending, and refurbishments.

Key Activities

• Promote the FCC Affordable Connectivity Program.
• Offer support, advice, and collaboration opportunities for local areas and nonprofit organizations in their efforts to create and enhance initiatives that grant free devices to families with limited financial resources.

KPI: Increase the number of individuals in Mississippians who have access to a device that can connect to the internet.

• Baseline: 40.7 percent of Mississippians have access to a computing device at home.
• Near-term target: Increase baseline by 10.7 percent to reach 50.7 percent of Mississippians with access to a broadband-enabled device.
• Long-term target: Increase baseline by 30 percent to reach 70 percent of Mississippians with access to a broadband enabled device.
• Targeted Covered Population: covered households, aging individuals, veterans, individuals with disabilities, individuals with a language barrier, racial/ethnic minorities and rural communities.

3. Increase digital literacy programs throughout the state.

Objective 3.1 - Make digital literacy training available to all Mississippians, particularly those within all covered populations.

Key Activities

• Create digital asset map that will allow the public to locate digital literacy programs near them.
• Update the digital asset inventory to ensure that communities have consistent access to valuable resources.
• Offer support to the public and relevant stakeholders on cybersecurity information and trainings (if any trainings are identified).
• Provide direct funding to the Mississippi Library Commissions, MSU Extension, Mississippi Community Colleges, Mississippi Department of Corrections, Mississippi Department of Rehabilitation, Mississippi Department of Human Services and other governmental entities to provide digital navigators and/or training. Provide competitive grant opportunities for nonprofits for digital navigators and/or training.

KPI: Monitor the number of digital literacy and skills training programs (cybersecurity, telehealth, privacy, general skills and more) and number of Mississippians served by these programs.

• Baseline: Thirty-nine programs were identified through the Digital Asset Survey created in partnership with BEAM and Mississippi State Extension Service.
• Near-term target: Increase the number of programs Mississippians served by existing programs by 15 percent.
• Long-term target: Increase the number of programs Mississippians served by existing programs by 25 percent.
• Targeted Covered Population: covered households, aging individuals, veterans, individuals with disabilities, individuals with a language barrier, racial/ethnic minorities, incarcerated individuals and rural communities.

4. Online accessibility and inclusivity of public resources and services.

Objective 4.1 - Develop an accessibility standards guide for agencies and encourage agencies to adopt.

Key Activities

• Create an accessibility standards guide and checklist and make available to the public.
• Encourage state agencies to make their websites and online services accessible to all Mississippians.
• Partner with the Mississippi Municipal League and the Mississippi Association of Supervisors to identify governmental entities who lack online resources for constituents.
• Leverage funding, partnerships, and other grant opportunities by serving as a resource for governmental entities.

KPI: Encourage state and local governmental entities to make their websites and online services accessible to all Mississippians.

• Baseline: Numerous state agency websites are lacking ADA compliance. County and municipal governments often do not provide online services.
• Near-term target: Create an accessibility standards guide and checklist. Identify local governments with limited or no online services and resources to assist in development.
• Long-term target: Make the accessibility standards guide and checklist available and encourage adoption. All counties and municipalities provide full menu of online services.
• Targeted Covered Population: Individuals with a language barrier, individuals with disabilities and aging individuals

Send Your Feedback to Mississippi

Public comments on BEAM's draft State Digital Skills and Accessibility Plan can be submitted in writing to dsacomments@beam.ms.gov. The deadline for public comments is February 5, 2024 at 5 pm local time. More information about digital equity in Mississippi can be found on the BEAM website.

More in this series:

• Addressing Digital Equity Needs in Iowa
• Centering Communities in Arizona's Digital Equity Plan
• The Plan for a Connected Illinois
• Developing Digital Skills and Opportunity in Arkansas
• A New Chapter of Digital Equity Work in California
• New Mexico's Plan for an Inclusive and Prosperous Society
• Everyone Connected: Connecticut's Digital Equity Plan
• Coloradans at the Heart of State's Digital Access Plan
• Connected and Empowered: A Digital Equity Plan for Pennsylvania
• Guiding Texas' Digital Opportunity Investments
• Florida's Roadmap for Closing the Digital Divide
• Creating Digital Opportunities in Nebraska
• Developing Digital Equity Solutions in Vermont
• Working Towards Digital Equity in DC
• Oregon's Plan for Meaningful Broadband Access
• Massachusetts' Unified Vision of Digital Equity
• Alaska's Plan to Address Broadband Adversity
• Georgia's Plan for Digital Connectivity
• In a New York State of Digital Equity
• A Plan for Digital Equity in Delaware
• Equity for the Digital Age: Maryland's Plan
• North Dakota's Collective Approach to Digital Equity
• A Plan for Connecting New Jersey
• Achieving a Digitally Inclusive Ohio
• A Digital Access Plan for All Idahoans
• Envisioning a Connected, Interconnected Alabama
• Missouri Pursues Sustainable Digital Opportunity Initiatives
• A Digital Equity Plan to Connect All Kansans
• South Dakota's Plan to Leverage Digital Equity to Reach Economic Goals
• Aloha Spirit Inspires Hawai'i Digital Equity Plan
• The Plan for Closing Nevada’s Digital Divide
• Wisconsin's Digital Equity Values
• ¡Su opinión cuenta! Puerto Rico Releases Initial Draft of Digital Equity Plan | ¡Su Opinión Cuenta! Puerto Rico Pública el Borrador Inicial del Plan de Equidad Digital
• Kentucky Pursues Full and Equitable Digital Access for All
• Tennessee Drafts a Digital Opportunity Plan
• Washington State Sets Digital Equity Goals
• West Virginia's Plan to Conquer the Digital Divide
• Wyoming Seeks Feedback on Digital Access Plan
• Communities Know Communities Best: Michigan's Digital Equity Plan
• Montana's Digital Opportunity Plan
• Achieving Digital Independence in Utah
• Maine's Vision of Digital Equity
• A Look at Louisiana's Draft Digital Equity Plan

The Benton Institute for Broadband & Society is a non-profit organization dedicated to ensuring that all people in the U.S. have access to competitive, High-Performance Broadband regardless of where they live or who they are. We believe communication policy - rooted in the values of access, equity, and diversity - has the power to deliver new opportunities and strengthen communities.

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