Equity for the Digital Age: Maryland's Plan

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Round-Up for the Week of Nov 27-Dec 1, 2023

In its draft Digital Equity Plan, the  Maryland Office of Statewide Broadband (OSB) recognizes that digital equity is crucial in today’s interconnected world. Maryland's plan is guided by a vision to achieve equity in the digital age, ensuring that no one is excluded or left behind due to disparities in access, skills, or resources. The state's plan is open for public comments until tomorrow, December 2, 2023.

Maryland's Vision of Digital Equity

Broadband access and digital equity are integral to the well-being of the State of Maryland in the 21st century, serving as a linchpin for economic opportunity and community development, offering a pathway to increased innovation, entrepreneurship, and overall prosperity.

The State of Maryland envisions a future where every individual, regardless of their location or background, has full access to high-speed internet connectivity and the tools necessary to harness its transformative potential. In this vision, urban and rural communities alike can fully participate in the digital economy. In this vision, comprehensive infrastructure investment will eliminate connectivity gaps, bridging the urban-rural divide and fostering a connected ecosystem that empowers residents, businesses, and governments to thrive in a digital society.

In this vision, digital equity goes beyond infrastructure, emphasizing digital literacy and skills development as critical components. Citizens are equipped with the knowledge to confidently navigate the digital landscape, access online resources, and protect their privacy and security. Digital skills training is integrated into educational curricula, workforce development programs, and community initiatives to create an informed and empowered citizenry. Furthermore, the vision envisions targeted support for underserved communities, ensuring that they are not left behind in the digital transformation.

In this vision, all Maryland residents will have access to the following five critical elements of digital equity:

1. Access to affordable, reliable internet connectivity at home: Access to affordable and reliable internet connectivity at home is a cornerstone of digital equity as it ensures that individuals, regardless of their socioeconomic background, can participate fully in the digital world. In an increasingly interconnected society, essential services, education, job opportunities, and civic engagement largely occur online. Lack of affordable internet access can occur in both rural and urban communities. Closing this divide will ensure that residents located in every part of Maryland have equal access to critical information and resources that drive personal and professional growth.
2. A computing device and the opportunity to maintain it: A modern and fully capable computing device is a necessary element of effective internet use and a gateway to education, employment, healthcare, and social interactions. Access to a computing device, with technical support to maintain it, means that all Maryland residents have the tools necessary to succeed in the digital age.
3. Opportunity to learn digital skills: The opportunity to learn digital skills is a linchpin of digital equity because it empowers individuals to harness the potential of technology effectively and safely. Digital literacy is essential for navigating online platforms, communicating, evaluating information, and engaging in the modern world.
4. Tools and information to be safe online: Providing tools and information to be safe online is a critical component of digital equity, ensuring that all individuals can navigate the digital landscape securely. Cyber threats and privacy breaches are risks faced by everyone online.
5. Online State resources that are accessible and usable: Ensuring that online state resources are accessible and usable for all residents supports equal access to government services, information, and civic participation. An inclusive approach to digital design ensures that individuals with disabilities, limited digital literacy, or language barriers can fully engage with state resources.

Maryland’s digital inclusion efforts will be guided by the following set of core principles:

1. Inclusivity and accessibility: Digital equity programs should prioritize inclusivity. Programs should be designed with accessibility in mind, accommodating different needs and preferences.
2. Equitable access: Efforts should focus on equitable access to affordable high-speed internet connectivity, computing devices, and necessary software. This involves identifying underserved areas and populations, working to bridge the urban-rural digital divide, and ensuring that economic disparities do not hinder access to essential digital tools and services.
3. Community engagement and collaboration: Efforts should prioritize active participation and collaboration among government agencies, community organizations, private sector partners, educational institutions, and residents. Engaging stakeholders ensures that strategies align with local needs, leverage available resources, and create a collective impact.
4. Sustainability: Digital equity planning should aim for long-term sustainability. Sustainable funding models, public-private partnerships, and leveraging existing infrastructure can contribute to the ongoing success of these programs.
5. Data-driven decision-making: Using data to inform strategy, program design, implementation, and evaluation is vital. Regularly collecting and analyzing data helps identify gaps, measure outcomes, and refine strategies for continuous improvement.

Covered Populations and Barriers to Digital Equity

In Maryland, 83 percent of residents belong to a covered population. This is close to the average among all states (by the portion of the state population in a covered population). Within Maryland, most individuals belonging to covered populations are racial or ethnic minorities, are older than 59 years old, live in rural areas, 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.

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

• Individuals who live in covered households: 14.4 percent
• Aging individuals: 22.6 percent
• Incarcerated individuals: 0.6 percent
• Veterans: 5.8 percent
• Individuals with disabilities: 11.6 percent
• Individuals with a language barrier: 19.4 percent
• Individuals who are members of a racial or ethnic minority group: 50.2 percent
• Individuals who primarily reside in a rural area: 22.3 percent

Through data collection, community engagement, and analysis, the Office of Statewide Broadband (OSB) has identified a range of barriers associated with the needs of Maryland households and communities. These are described in detail below. In brief, the key identified challenges include:

1. Lack of broadband availability to households
2. Low-income households struggle to afford broadband services, devices, and technical support
3. Low-income households and aging individuals lack needed digital skills

Maryland's plan summarizes some of the key barriers revealed by OSB’s outreach and research for each covered population identified by the Digital Equity Act.

Individuals who live in low-income households

• Barriers affording service with the speeds and data capacity to meet their digital needs
• Lack of knowledge or access to discount subsidy programs, including for devices
• Challenges affording computing devices and tech support
• Insufficient infrastructure in buildings with inadequate wiring

Aging Individuals

• Lack of digital skills and lack of confidence in protecting themselves from online security and privacy threats
• Lower rates of broadband and device adoption compared to younger individuals

Incarcerated Individuals

• Lack of adequate broadband services and adequate funding for digital literacy and workforce training inside correctional institutions
• Lack of broadband availability for formerly incarcerated individuals that would enable online job training and job searches to expand employment opportunities

Veterans

• Crossover challenges with aging individuals, individuals from racial and ethnic minorities, individuals with disabilities, individuals living in rural areas, and low-income individuals
• Challenges receiving broadband services

Individuals with Disabilities

• Less likely to be served by broadband
• Lag those without disabilities in internet and device adoption
• Necessary adaptive technology can be expensive, scarce, and hard to use
• Lack of specialized digital skills training
• Availability of adequate services to allow work, education, and health care at home

Individuals with a Language Barrier

• Lack of in-language digital skills training

Individuals who are members of a racial or ethnic minority group

• Barriers that come from historic underrepresentation in programs and opportunities that may have provided digital skills and access to robust broadband
• Crossover barriers with limited English-speaking and low-income populations
• Less likely to own desktop or laptop computers than white individuals

Individuals who primarily reside in a rural area

• Lack of access to reliable broadband that, in turn, creates barriers to developing digital skills
• Affordability of service as well as high costs of paying for service drop installation for those with long driveways

Digital Equity Strategy and Objectives

Achieving digital equity in Maryland will likely involve multiple coordinated initiatives and efforts associated with each strategy and objective. Maryland's plan includes an implementation strategy and potential future initiatives that relate to each of the key strategies, as well as potential timelines.  

Barrier: 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 Maryland
  • Timeline: 2023 to 2030 (consistent with BEAD requirements)
• Execute Home Stretch for Public Housing program to improve broadband to affordable housing
  • Using American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) Capital Projects Fund dollars, fund deployment of broadband to and within affordable housing facilities in urban, suburban, and rural areas of Maryland
  • Timeline: 2023 to 2026 (consistent with ARPA CPF requirements)

Strategy 2: Require ISPs to provide a basic level of service for rural and remote communities

• Execute the BEAD Program
  • Extend last-mile broadband infrastructure and include requirements for basic level of service for rural and remote communities
  • Timeline: BEAD funding to begin in late 2024 and early 2025

Strategy 3: Partner with and strengthen the capabilities of Community Anchor Institutions to broaden free public access to broadband for all residents in covered populations

• Digital Inclusion Grants (DIG)
  • Re-open future rounds of DIG program initiatives as funding allows
  • Timeline: 2024 to 2029

Measurable Objectives and Key Performance Indicators

• Every Maryland resident can access 25/3 Mbps at home, with a baseline of 97 percent, a short-term goal of 98 percent and a long-term goal of 99 percent
• Members of covered populations can access 25/3 Mbps at home, with a short-term goal of 98 percent and a long-term goal of 99 percent
• Every Marylander can access 100/20 Mbps at home, with a baseline of 97 percent, a short-term goal of 98 percent and a long-term goal of 99 percent
• Members of covered populations can access 100/20 Mbps at home, with a short-term goal of 98 percent and a long-term goal of 99 percent
• Every Community Anchor Institution can access 1/1 Gbps, with a short-term goal of 95 percent and a long-term goal of 98 percent

Barrier: Low-income households struggle to adopt and afford broadband services, devices, and technical support

Strategy 1: Increase Affordable Connectivity Program and ISP low-cost program enrollment among eligible households

• Develop educational materials
  • Provide content and support for educational campaigns among organizations that focus on ACP and ISPs’ low-cost programs as well as for localities, community anchor institutions, and nonprofits that have not previously worked to extend ACP and ISP-offered discount program enrollment
  • Timeline: 2023 and thereafter
• Encourage ISP partnerships for ACP enrollment drives
  • Encourage ISPs to partner with localities, community anchor institutions, and nonprofits to develop ACP and low-cost ISP program enrollment drives and initiatives
  • Timeline: 2023 and thereafter
• Fund library-based ACP enrollment drives
  • Provide funding for libraries to offer ACP and ISP low-cost program enrollment drives for eligible households
  • Timeline: 2024 to 2029, based on the availability of the Digital Equity Capacity Grant
• Improve broadband for residents of affordable housing
  • Using ARPA Capital Projects Fund dollars, deploy new broadband infrastructure to and within affordable housing facilities in urban, suburban, and rural areas of Maryland through the Home Stretch for Public Housing program
  • Timeline: 2023 to 2026 (consistent with ARPA CPF requirements)

Strategy 2: Increase low-cost service offerings

• Require grantee low-cost offerings
  • Build requirements and enhanced scoring for affordable service offerings into the BEAD Program
  • Timeline: 2023 to 2025, with monitoring and enforcement thereafter
• 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: 2023 and thereafter

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 existing programs that provide free devices to lower-income households
  • Timeline: 2024 and thereafter
• Support ACP enrollment
  • Work with partners to support eligible households to purchase computing devices under the Affordable Equity Program
  • Timeline: Ongoing
• Fund library-based tech support
  • Provide funding for libraries to offer tech support for library users
  • Timeline: 2024 to 2029, based on the availability of the Digital Equity Capacity Grant
• Support device refurbishment and device repair
  • Work with State and local partners to provide opportunities for devices to be refurbished and/or repaired, then provided to low-income families
  • Timeline: 2024 to 2029, based on availability of the Digital Equity Capacity Grant

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

• Provide map information
  • Add Digital Equity data to the Maryland Broadband Map
  • Timeline: 2023 and thereafter
• Provide asset information
  • Update OSB’s Digital Equity Asset Inventory periodically so that communities have access to resources for identifying partners and best practices
  • Timeline: 2023 and thereafter
• Develop education and informational resources
  • Work with collaborators to design and share data and informational resources promoting internet safety, ACP and ISP-offered low-cost program awareness, and device donation and refurbishment, and develop online resources on digital equity best practices for reference by stakeholders statewide
  • Timeline: 2023 and thereafter

Measurable Objectives and Key Performance Indicators

• Increased enrollment in the Affordable Connectivity Program and ISPs’ low-cost programs, with a baseline of 28 percent of eligible households participating in ACP, a short-term goal of 60 percent and a long-term goal of 70 percent
• Increased percentage of ISPs that offer low-cost products for lower-income households, with a baseline of 64 percent of ISPs that offer low-cost products for lower-income households, a short-term goal of 95 percent and a long-term goal of 95 percent
• All Maryland residents have access to a workable, internet-enabled computing device, with a baseline of 95 percent of all survey respondents who report that they can get a broken or lost computing device fixed or replaced within a month, a short-term goal of 93 percent and a long-term goal of 95 percent
• Members of covered populations have access to a workable, internet-enabled computing device, with a baseline of 94 percent of all covered population survey respondents who report that they can get a broken or lost computing device fixed or replaced within a month, a short-term goal of 93 percent and a long-term goal of 95 percent

Barrier: Low-income households and aging individuals lack digital skills, including to protect security and privacy

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 stakeholders that are engaged in digital equity efforts to enable partners to benefit from each other’s expertise and lessons learned
  • Timeline: 2023 and thereafter
• Fund library-based training
  • Provide funding for libraries to offer digital skills training, based on standardized and tested curricula that reflect cultural appropriateness
  • Timeline: 2024 to 2029, based on the availability of the Digital Equity Capacity Grant
• 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

Strategy 2: Expand the opportunity to learn online safety and privacy skills

• Enable partnerships
  • Use OSB’s convening capabilities to connect localities with expert partners that have established training courses, to enable stakeholders to benefit from each other’s expertise and lessons learned
  • Timeline: 2023 and thereafter
• Provide informational resources and expert data and guidance
  • Develop and distribute relevant materials to share expertise and guidance so that communities have access to resources for identifying cost-effective strategies and best practices
  • Timeline: 2023 and thereafter
• Fund library-based training
  • Provide funding for libraries to offer training at the local level regarding online safety and privacy, based on standardized and tested curricula that reflect cultural appropriateness
  • Timeline: 2024 to 2029, based on the availability of the Digital Equity Capacity Grant

Strategy 3: Expand accessibility of information

• Develop and distribute accessibility guidance
  • Provide guidance materials 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

Measurable Objectives and Key Performance Indicators

• All Maryland residents are able to use the internet if they so choose, with a baseline of 11.6/14 key digital skills performed, a short-term goal of 8/14 and a long-term goal of 10/14
• All members of covered populations are able to use the internet if they so choose, with a baseline of 11.2/14 key digital skills performed, a short-term goal of 8/14 and a long-term goal of 10/14
• All Maryland residents can access information or training to learn how to protect their security online, with a baseline of 78 percent of all survey respondents who say they are confident they can protect their security online, a short-term goal of 85 percent and a long-term goal of 90 percent
• All members of covered populations can access information or training to learn how to protect their security online, with a baseline of 74 percent of all survey respondents who say they are confident they can protect their security online, a short-term goal of 85 percent and a long-term goal of 90 percent
• All Maryland residents can access government services online, with a baseline of 98 percent of all survey respondents who say they use the internet to access government services online, a short-term goal of 50 percent and a long-term goal of 75 percent
• All members of covered populations can access government services online, with a baseline of 97 percent of all survey respondents who say they use the internet to access government services online, a short-term goal of 50 percent and a long-term goal of 75 percent

Barrier: Local communities require resources and expertise for digital equity efforts

Strategy 1: Build collaboration among State, local, ISP, and nonprofit entities

• Convene stakeholders
  • Build structures to enable stakeholders 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 equity, as well as to help organizations to leverage others’ capabilities and help stakeholders serving particular regions or specific covered populations to share best practices and digital equity expertise
  • Timeline: 2024 and thereafter
• Enable funders to connect with program experts
  • Convene a range of stakeholders to enable organizations that run digital equity programs to request resources from various stakeholders, including private sector partners, ISPs, and philanthropy
  • Timeline: 2024 and thereafter

Strategy 2: Expand technical assistance to local and nonprofit entities to engage in robust digital equity efforts

• Enhance the availability of technical assistance resources
  • Enhance and support the availability of technical assistance resources available to local and nonprofit entities
  • Timeline: 2024 to 2029

Strategy 3: Increase local government digital equity plans, enhancing commitments to data-driven, community-informed approaches

• Enhance local planning efforts
  • Enhance the development and enhancement of local digital equity planning efforts
  • Timeline: 2024 to 2029

Measurable Objectives and Key Performance Indicators

• Partnership opportunities are available via convening events, with a baseline of 3 convening events per year that are communicated, a short-term goal of 4and a long-term goal of 5
• Program providers have access to grant writing guidance and expertise for accessing federal and state opportunities, with a baseline of 1 grant support virtual online open house per year, a short-term goal of 2 and a long-term goal of 3

Submit Your Comments to Maryland

Feedback on Maryland's draft Digital Equity Plan can be submitted using the Office of Statewide Broadband’s designated email (osb.de@maryland.gov) or by mail (address can be found here) until December 2, 2023. More information about Maryland's digital equity efforts can be found on the state's website.

Quick Bits

• FCC Announces Tentative Agenda for December Open Meeting
• What Congress Needs to Know About ACP Funding
• Affordable Connectivity Program is Closing the Digital Divide
• What the 2022 American Community Survey Tells Us About Digital Equity
• Notice of National Spectrum Strategy Implementation Plan Request for Input

Weekend Reads (resist tl;dr)

• The Future of the Affordable Connectivity Program
• How ACP negotiations might shake out
• Rural Internet Subscribers Pay More, New Data Confirms
• We need better data to truly unlock technological neutrality in broadband deployment
• FCC Provides Guidance to High-Cost Support Recipients Regarding Engagement with States and Tribal Governments

ICYMI from Benton

• North Dakota's Collective Approach to Digital Equity
• How to Ensure Community Perspectives are Represented in Digital Equity Program Evaluations
• A Plan for Connecting New Jersey
• Achieving a Digitally Inclusive Ohio
• A Digital Access Plan for All Idahoans

Upcoming Events

Dec 5––The Vital Role of BEAD Funding

Dec 6––Strategies While We Wait for BEAD

Dec 13––December 2023 Open Federal Communications Commission Meeting

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

More in this series:

• 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
• Rhode Island Works to Bring Broadband to All Residents
• 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

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