Envisioning a Connected, Interconnected Alabama

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Round-Up for the Week of Nov 13-17, 2023

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 Alabama Digital Expansion Division of the Alabama Department of Economic and Community Affairs (ADECA) has released a draft of the state's Digital Opportunity Plan, which details Alabama's vision of a connected, interconnected future. ADECA has made the state's plan available for public comment until November 23, 2023. Keep reading for Alabama's plan to achieve digital opportunity.

Alabama's Vision of Digital Equity

The State of Alabama envisions a connected, interconnected future in which all Alabamians—including those who are not currently connected or who face other barriers to digital opportunity—will have the opportunity to benefit from broadband internet, for purposes of economic opportunity, education, healthcare, and all the other ways the internet offers digital opportunity.

In that envisioned future, all Alabamians will have access to the following five critical elements of digital opportunity:

1. Availability of affordable, reliable internet connectivity at home
2. A computing device and the opportunity to maintain it
3. Opportunity to learn digital skills
4. Tools and information to be safe online
5. Online state resources that are accessible and usable

To achieve this vision for digital opportunity, the State of Alabama will adopt the following three framework principles for its digital opportunity efforts:

1. Prioritize data and rigorous information gathering: As it has done in awarding broadband infrastructure grants, Alabama will adopt a data-driven approach to grantmaking in the digital opportunity area, making awards based on data regarding both the need for the work and the capacity of the grantee that seeks to do the work. Data will similarly be the basis for measuring both needs and achievements over time and ADECA will continue to lead in data collection through the Alabama Broadband Map, which will be updated at least twice a year, and ADECA’s digital opportunity scientific phone survey, which will be undertaken periodically.
2. Engage and collaborate: Digital opportunity work will require collaboration and partnerships. As it has done in visiting all 67 Alabama counties and preparing county profiles detailing broadband and digital opportunity needs and strategies in collaboration with county partners, ADECA will continue to engage with its local government, ISP, labor, and anchor institution partners to solicit ideas, insights, priorities, and lessons learned. ADECA will similarly continue its efforts to collaborate with Tribal Nations, MSIs, and HBCUs.
3. Build on existing achievements and collaborations: The State of Alabama will leverage and benefit from the efforts of other entities that have spent years developing expertise and capabilities in digital opportunity. Rather than attempt to replicate or recreate those capabilities, ADECA will provide data, support, and resources to entities that already have developed—and proven the efficacy and efficiency of—existing programs to address digital opportunity. In this way, the State of Alabama will respect local and community experience and know-how, working to support its local government and nonprofit partners that have proven capabilities in digital opportunity.

Barriers to Digital Equity in Alabama

In Alabama specifically, a relatively large portion of the state belongs to covered populations, with 86.9 percent of the state belonging to a covered population. This ranks as the tenth-most covered state (by portion of state population in a covered population) and implies that the interests of covered populations closely align to those of the whole state. Alabama as a whole and its covered populations are not likely to have misaligned priorities because the latter make up the vast majority of the former.

Within Alabama, most individuals belonging to covered populations live in rural areas, are racial or ethnic minorities, have a relatively low income, are aging individuals, and/or have low levels of literacy. These covered populations are much larger in the state than those defined by incarceration status, English language proficiency, and veteran status. Perhaps most notable is the size of Alabama’s rural population: an estimated 50.6 percent of the state lives in a rural area (as opposed to only 28.5 percent nationally).

Broadband Adoption

The main reason for not using the internet at home for over 42 percent of all Alabama households (and 42.4 percent of those belonging to covered populations) is an inability to afford service. Therefore, challenges relating to service affordability, and the closely-linked concept of reliability, seem to be the largest obstacles to digital opportunity for many Alabamians.

According to the American Community Survey, nearly 90 percent of Alabama residents have a home internet subscription of some kind. However, Alabama residents do not have similar adoption of reliable broadband when compared against the nation. Only 68.2 percent of Alabama residents have a wireline home internet subscription. This is 7.3 percentage points less than the national rate of 75.5 percent. Additionally, 18 percent of Alabama residents rely on a cellular data plan alone for home internet service, which is considered to be insufficient to realize the many benefits of broadband. Mobile-only individuals typically cite affordability, their smartphone being good enough, and/or having access to broadband somewhere else as the reasons for not having wireline home internet connectivity.

Within Alabama, individuals belonging to covered populations fare substantially worse than others in home internet adoption. Over 86 percent of individuals belonging to a covered population report having a home internet subscription as opposed to 96.7 percent of those outside of covered groups. The gap widens for wireline internet connections, for which 63.2 percent of individuals belonging to covered populations claim adoption compared to 78.7 percent of non-covered populations.

Individuals living in low-income households constitute the covered population with the largest adoption gaps. Low-income individuals are 15.7 percentage points less likely than higher-income individuals to have a home internet subscription and they are 21.6 percentage points less likely to have a wireline internet subscription.

Digital Skills

Individuals belonging to covered populations almost uniformly practice digital skills at a lower rate than those that do not belong to covered populations. The largest gaps can be found in requesting services provided by other people via the internet (26.8 percentage point gap); streaming or downloading music, radio, podcasts, etc. (21.7 percentage point gap); shopping, making travel reservations, or using other consumer services online (21.6 percentage point gap); and using online financial services like banking, investing, or paying bills (20.8 percentage point gap).

The only digital skill for which individuals in covered populations outpace their counterparts is in searching for a job online, which only 15.5 percent of those in covered populations performed recently. (It is possible that individuals in covered populations work less consistently—necessitating a greater need for job searches.)

The digital skills discrepancies are greatest for aging individuals and those living with disabilities or living in rural areas. For these covered populations, not a single online activity is more frequently practiced by the covered populations compared to the non-covered populations. Additionally, individuals living in low-income homes trailed measurably behind higher-income individuals in most digital skills. This suggests that digital skills training is a key need for all four populations.

Increasingly, there is a use and need for a distinguished set of digital skills involved in telemedicine and remote health care. Alabama lags the nation in frequency of performance of telemedicine activities. Among the covered populations, individuals living in low-income households and individuals living in rural areas exhibit the most urgent needs for increased telemedicine skills—based on both their reported frequency of participation in telemedicine (which is notably low) and given the difficulties in traveling long distances and at inconvenient times for rural and lower-income individuals.

Online Security and Privacy

Theft, fraud, phishing, and misinformation are all commonplace on the internet, and fully realizing digital opportunity in Alabama requires users to be safe from such online risks. In Alabama, 5.4 percent of all households that do not use the internet at home (and 7 percent of those belonging to a covered population) cited online security or privacy concerns as a reason. In the past year, 15.5 percent of individuals in covered populations report having been the victim of an online security or privacy breach.

Among the covered populations, veterans and aging individuals tended to be the most concerned about these risks. Lower-income and rural individuals expressed the least concern over these issues. Similarly, while it is not inherently beneficial to increase concern around privacy and security, online security education may increase awareness of these concerns in a positive way, especially for lower-income households and individuals living in rural areas.

An estimated 14.1 percent of Alabama residents chose not to buy goods or services online in the past year because of concerns regarding privacy or security. Similarly, 11.4 percent chose not to post photos or other information to social media for these reasons. Alabama residents appear less dissuaded from online activities because of security concerns than the rest of the nation. While the goal is for all individuals to feel safe and confident in their performance of online activities, it remains possible that these data are more suggestive of a lack of information or awareness rather than an increased capacity for self-protection.

Device Adoption

The State of Alabama performs similarly to the nation in computer device ownership of any kind, with 93.3 percent of individuals claiming to have access to a computer device of any kind in the house compared to 95 percent nationally. However, these devices are not uniformly capable. While tablets and smartphones are increasingly effective for many online tasks, they are still ultimately not adequate for full realization of digital opportunities. In Alabama, only 75.2 percent of individuals have access to a desktop or laptop in their home, which is 5.3 percentage points less than the national rate of 80.5 percent.

Device ownership is reportedly highly stratified by membership in covered populations. For example, 98.7 percent of individuals not belonging to a covered population have
access to a computer device of any kind at home, while only 90.8 percent of individuals belonging to covered populations report the same access. This device gap grows when limiting the inquiry to desktop or laptop devices, to which members of covered populations are reportedly 19.4 percentage points less likely to have access at home. Additionally, 14.3 percent of members of covered populations (compared to 6 percent of non-covered populations) report only having access to a smartphone at home. While this is technically counted as a computer device of any kind, a smartphone alone is insufficient for a myriad of key online activities. These data suggest that device ownership is still a meaningful barrier to connectivity for members of covered populations in Alabama.

Among various covered populations, individuals living in low-income households display the most urgent needs for adequate computer devices. Low-income individuals underperformed every other covered population in ownership of computer devices of any kind, desktop or laptop computers, and tablet computers. Additionally, there was at least a 10-percentage-point gap in desktop or laptop access between members of covered and non-covered populations across race, age, disability status, and English language proficiency.

Broadband Affordability

Perhaps the most widely known and used intervention to lower the cost of internet access is the Federal Communications Commission's Affordable Connectivity Program (ACP). The ACP subsidizes up to $30 per month (or $75 for Tribal applicants) for broadband for qualifying households and may include a one-time $100 subsidy toward buying a laptop or tablet. However, despite the benefit of the subsidy, the ACP is known to be chronically undersubscribed. In Alabama, an estimated 40 percent of eligible households have enrolled, a rate higher than the estimated national level of 35 percent, but still leaving significant opportunity for growth.

The percentage of ACP enrollment by county shows that participation is highest throughout the Black Belt region and, within this region, is highest in Wilcox, Dallas, and Perry counties in Alabama.

Plan Goals and Implementation Strategy

The overarching goals of Alabama's plan are:

1. Increase access to broadband infrastructure. Consistent with the Alabama Connectivity Plan and considerable efforts of recent years, ADECA seeks to ensure that all Alabamians have access to a robust fixed broadband connection at their home. ADECA will seek to maximize the reach and impact of various funding sources, including the BEAD Program allocation, to extend broadband infrastructure throughout the state.
2. Increase broadband affordability. ADECA seeks to work with partners on strategies that can improve affordability, particularly for the covered populations for whom this is a significant barrier. This effort will involve coordination with entities dedicated to enabling eligible households to access federal support programs such as the FCC's Affordable Connectivity Program (ACP) and Lifeline program, as well as building affordability into the scoring and requirements for all broadband grant programs.
3. Expand access to computing devices and tech support. ADECA seeks to work with nonprofit and public partners to expand ownership of computing devices, as well as the ability to support, maintain, and repair those devices. Among other approaches, ADECA will work with partners to support eligible households to purchase computing devices using the ACP and to support and expand existing programs that provide free devices to lower-income households.
4. Expand opportunity to learn digital skills. ADECA seeks to expand access to digital skills, recognizing that covered populations, particularly lower-income households and aging individuals, face significant challenges in this area. ADECA will seek to work through experienced partners that have established digital skills training courses and to support and expand existing efforts to serve more Alabamians.
5. Expand opportunity to learn online safety and privacy. ADECA recognizes that some Alabamians, particularly those that are lower-income or older adults, report greater challenges and more discomfort regarding their ability to protect themselves online. ADECA seeks to work through experienced partners that have established training courses in this space, seeking to leverage existing capabilities and expand existing programs to reach more Alabamians and to distribute relevant materials to share expertise and guidance.
6. Expand online accessibility. Alabama seeks to ensure that members of the community who face barriers associated with disabilities can use the internet and that government resources and programs are accessible online. ADECA will endeavor to develop and distribute guidance to state and local agencies regarding best practices for website design and maintenance that align with accessibility standards and will also seek to support partners that aid individuals with disabilities to use the ACP.

Key Challenge: Lack of broadband availability

Strategy 1: Increase access to residential broadband infrastructure

• Execute the Broadband Equity, Access and Deployment (BEAD) Program
  • Extend last-mile broadband infrastructure throughout the state
  • Timeline: 2023 to 2030
• Execute Alabama Capital Projects Fund Program
  • Extend last-mile broadband infrastructure throughout the state
  • Timeline: 2023 to 2026 (applications currently under review)
• Execute Alabama Anchor Institution/Middle-Mile Program
  • Extend middle-mile broadband infrastructure to Anchor Institutions with an identified need for service, while facilitating last-mile deployment in unserved areas
  • Timeline: 2023 to 2026 (applications currently under review)
• Execute Alabama Statewide Middle-Mile Network Grant Program
  • Extend middle-mile broadband infrastructure to serve as a unified statewide resource for ISPs to plan and deploy last-mile connectivity
  • Timeline: Subgrant Agreement executed in February 2023; project completion scheduled for February 2026
• Execute Alabama Broadband Accessibility Fund
  • Extend last-mile broadband infrastructure throughout the state
  • Timeline: Ongoing, utilizing state funding

Strategy 2: Enable gigabit services at Anchor Institutions

• Execute Alabama Anchor Institution/Middle-Mile Program
  • Extend middle-mile broadband infrastructure to Anchor Institutions with an identified need for service, while facilitating last-mile deployment in unserved areas
  • Timeline: 2023 to 2026 (applications currently under review)

Measurable Objectives

• Every Alabamian can access 25/3 Mbps at home by 2029
• Every Alabamian can access 100/20 Mbps at home by 2029 (if sufficient funds are available to reach all underserved locations)​
• Every Anchor Institution that wants it can access 1/1 Gbps to enable their missions and serve their communities (50% by 2029 and 60% by 2033)

Key Challenge: Low-income households struggle to afford broadband services, devices, and technical support

Strategy 1: Increase ACP enrollment among eligible households

• Develop educational materials
  • Provide content and support for educational campaigns among organizations that focus on ACP as well as for localities, Anchor Institutions, and nonprofits that have not previously worked to extend ACP enrollment
  • Timeline: Ongoing (was initiated in 2022)

Strategy 2: Increase low-cost service offerings

• Require grantee low-cost offerings
  • Build requirements and enhanced scoring for affordable service offerings into all broadband infrastructure grant programs
  • 2023 to 2025, with monitoring and enforcement thereafter; requirements already built into Alabama Statewide Middle-Mile Network Grant Program, Alabama Anchor Institution/Middle-Mile Program, and Alabama Capital Projects Fund Program
• Encourage ISP low-cost offerings
  • Work with ISPs throughout the state to encourage adoption and expansion of low-cost offerings for lower-income households
  • Timeline: Ongoing (was initiated in 2020)

Strategy 3: Expand access to computing devices and tech support

• Provide information
  • Provide guidance regarding best practices, expertise, and partnership opportunities to localities and nonprofits to develop and expand programs
    that provide free devices to lower-income households and associated tech support
  • Timeline: 2024 and thereafter
• Support ACP enrollment
  • Work with partners to support eligible households to purchase computing devices under the ACP
  • Timeline: Ongoing (was initiated in 2022)

Strategy 4: Develop data and informational resources to enable the application of a digital opportunity lens to infrastructure and program decisions

• Provide map information
  • Add digital opportunity data to the Alabama Broadband Map
  • Timeline: 2024 and thereafter
• Provide asset information
  • Update the Digital Opportunity Asset Inventory periodically so that communities have access to resources for identifying partners and best practices
  • Timeline: 2024 and thereafter
• Develop education and informational resources
  • Work with collaborators to design and share data and informational resources promoting internet safety, ACP awareness, and device donation and refurbishment, and develop online resources on digital opportunity best practices for reference by partners statewide
  • Timeline: 2024 and thereafter

Measurable Objectives

• Increase enrollment in the Affordable Connectivity Program (from 40% of eligible households today to 50% by 2029 and 60% by 2033)
• Increase the percentage of ISPs that offer low-cost products for lower-income households (from 64% today to 75% by 2029 to 85% by 2033)
• All Alabamians have access to a workable computing device (from 92% today to 93% by 2029 to 95% by 2033)
• Members of covered populations have access to a workable computing device (10-year goal: 95 percent​)

Key Challenge: Low-income households and aging individuals lack digital skills

Strategy 1: Enable digital skills development through training courses

• Enable partnerships
  • Connect localities with expert partners that have established training courses, working with a full range of partners that are engaged in digital opportunity efforts to enable partners to benefit from each other’s expertise and lessons learned
  • Timeline: 2023 and thereafter (this effort is already underway)
• Provide informational resources and guidance
  • Distribute relevant materials to share expertise and guidance so that communities have access to resources for identifying partners and best practices
  • Timeline: 2023 and thereafter (this effort is already underway)

Strategy 2: Expand opportunity to learn online safety and privacy

• Enable partnerships
  • Connect localities with expert partners that have established training courses, working with a full range of partners that are engaged in digital opportunity efforts to enable partners to benefit from each other’s expertise and lessons learned
  • Timeline: 2023 and thereafter (this effort is already underway)
• Provide informational resources and guidance
  • Distribute relevant materials to share expertise and guidance so that communities have access to resources for identifying partners and best practices
  • Timeline: 2023 and thereafter (this effort is already underway)

Strategy 3: Expand accessibility of information

• Develop and distribute accessibility guidance
  • Provide guidance to state and local agencies regarding best practices for website design and maintenance that align with accessibility standards and that enable cost-effective use of critical support tools
  • Timeline: 2023 and thereafter (this effort is already underway)

Measurable Objectives

• All Alabamians are able to use the internet, with the digital skills they need, if they so choose (from an average of 7.5/17 key digital skills today to 10/17 in 2029 and 12/17 by 2033)
• Members of covered populations are able to use the internet if they so choose (from 6.8/17 key skills today to 10/17 in 2029 and 12/17 in 2033)
• All Alabamians can access information or training to learn how to protect their security online (from 79% today to 85% in 2029 and 90% in 2033)
• Members of covered populations can access information or training to learn how to protect their security online (from 76% today to 85% in 2029 and 90% in 2033)
• All Alabamians can access information or training to learn how to protect their privacy online (from 76% today to 85% in 2029 and 90% in 2033)
• Members of covered populations can access information or training to learn how to protect their privacy online (from 70% today to 85% in 2029 and 90% in 2033)
• All Alabamians can access government services online (from 23% today to 30% in 2029 and 50% in 2033)
• Members of covered populations can access government services online (from 18% today to 30% in 2029 and 50% in 2033)

Key Challenge: Local communities lack resources and expertise for digital opportunity efforts

Strategy 1: Build collaboration among state, local, and nonprofit entities

• Convene partners
  • Build structures to enable partners to work together across the state and across different demographics to enable shared lessons and resources to support those who face the greatest barriers to digital opportunity, as well as to help organizations to leverage others’ capabilities and help partners serving particular regions or specific covered populations to share best practices and digital opportunity expertise
  • Timeline: 2024 and thereafter
• Enable funders to connect with program experts
  • Convene a range of partners to enable organizations that run digital opportunity programs to request resources from various partners, including private sector partners, ISPs, and philanthropy
  • Timeline: 2024 and thereafter

Strategy 2: Support and develop local capacity

• Plan for local and/or regional Digital Opportunity Fellows
  • Plan for local and/or regional Digital Opportunity Fellows, hosted by local nonprofits, localities, or colleges, to enable the development of local plans and initiatives
  • Timeline: 2024 to 2029
• Convene funders
  • Use ADECA’s convening capabilities to plan annual meetings or webinars to connect local communities and organizations with philanthropy and other potential digital opportunity funding sources
  • Timeline: 2024 and thereafter
• Facilitate access to grant writing resources
  • Facilitate access to grant writing resources and technical assistance to localities, nonprofits, and Anchor Institutions that seek to compete for NTIA’s Digital Equity Competitive Grant funds
  • Timeline: 2024 and thereafter

Strategy 3: Sustain and grow the state’s efforts in digital opportunity

• Infuse broadband and digital opportunity considerations into related areas
  • Develop materials to enable understanding of how to use digital opportunity as a lens when making program decisions and prioritizing investments
  • Timeline: 2024 and thereafter
• Convene nonprofit and philanthropy partners
  • Use ADECA’s convening ability and outreach capabilities to encourage collaboration and communications among organizations that operate digital opportunity programs and philanthropic funders
  • Timeline: 2024 and thereafter
• Collect, analyze, and publish relevant data to demonstrate changes in digital opportunity metrics and outcomes
  • Publish relevant data analytics related to barriers and obstacles to covered populations and review, evaluate, and update Plan goals, measurable objectives, KPIs, and implementation activities as needed to guide nonprofits, ISPs, and philanthropy regarding potential impactful investments
  • Timeline: 2024 and thereafter

Measurable Objectives

• Data are available to all counties regarding the status of broadband and digital opportunity in their communities (from 100% today and maintaining 100% going forward)
• Partnership opportunities are available for localities, nonprofits, and Anchor Institutions (from 3 convening events per year today to 12 in 2029 and maintaining 12 in 2033)
• Localities have access to grant writing guidance and expertise for accessing federal Digital Opportunity funds (with a goal of 50% of localities by 2025)

Send Your Feedback to Alabama

Public comments on Alabama's draft Digital Opportunity Plan can be submitted using ADECA's public comment survey or via email until November 23, 2023. More information about Alabama's digital equity efforts can be found on the ADECA website.

Quick Bits

• FCC Adopts Rules to Prevent & Eliminate Digital Discrimination
• Breaking Down Digital Discrimination Rules Required by Congress
• Celebrating the 2nd Anniversary of the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law
• Governors Advocate for Affordable Connectivity Program
• Veterans Day looks different this year

Weekend Reads (resist tl;dr)

• National Spectrum Strategy
• Over Half of America Now Has Access To Fiber 
• Pigeons are still (sometimes) faster than your internet
• Internet price, speed, and disparity: The case of rural healthcare providers in the United States
• FCC broadband data: Poorer Cuyahoga neighborhoods are still likeliest to get old, slow AT&T service

ICYMI from Benton

• Three Challenges for 2024
• Here's How the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act is Delivering Broadband in Your State
• The Seven Broadband Gaps
• FCC Has Questions About Broadband Speeds and Deployment
• Fulfilling Oklahoma's Digital Promise

Upcoming Events

Nov 17––Maternal Health Roundtable (FCC)

Nov 17––Spectrum Slump: Exploring the FCC’s Challenges in 5G Leadership (AEI)

Nov 20––Alabama BEAD Initial Proposal and Alabama Statewide Digital Opportunity Plan Public Webinar

Dec 13––December 2023 Open Federal Communications Commission Meeting

Feb 12—State of the Net 2024 (Internet Education Foundation)

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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