Small Wins, Big Impact: Advancing Digital Equity for Older Adults

 You’re reading the Benton Institute for Broadband & Society’s Weekly Digest, a recap of the biggest (or most overlooked) broadband stories of the week. The digest is delivered via e-mail each Friday.

Round-Up for the Week of March 17-21, 2025

On March 19, the Benton Institute for Broadband & Society, with support from AARP, hosted a webinar titled Understanding Internet Access and Use Among Older Adults. 

Revati Prasad, PhD, Vice President of Programs at the Benton Institute, previewed the new report, Older Adults Online: Measuring Internet Access and Use, and moderated a panel of experts who discussed the needs of older adult populations. The discussion also explored how states can use strategic partnerships and research to translate data into policy to make the most of the substantial investments of the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act.

Panelists included Julia Brinjac of the Pennsylvania Broadband Development Authority (PBDA), Erin Huggins from North Carolina State University, Colby Humphrey, PhD, from Pew Charitable Trusts, and AARP’s Tim Morstad. 

As states move from setting objectives to implementing their digital equity plans and demonstrating meaningful impact, the strategies outlined in Older Adults Online: Measuring Internet Access and Use provide a roadmap for effectively measuring and advancing digital inclusion for older adults. The report’s three broad recommendations are:

1. States will benefit from leveraging existing federal datasets, including the American Community Survey (ACS) and NTIA’s Internet Use Survey.
2. Qualitative research is critical for covered populations. Methodologically rigorous qualitative research will help states develop nuanced insights that are particularly relevant for designing programs that meet people’s needs.
3. Prioritize data collection throughout implementation in order to capture a more comprehensive picture of older adults’ diverse digital realities and enable states to identify gaps, refine their strategies, and ultimately deliver more meaningful, impactful solutions.

Qualitative Research

Panelists agreed on the importance of qualitative research to effectively design and assess policy and programs. Qualitative methods like interviews and focus groups allow researchers to capture lived experiences and perspectives more fully than quantitative data alone. 

Erin Huggins discussed the qualitative research she and her team in North Carolina conducted and shared an example of how qualitative research and the deeper understanding it provides can make programs more effective and useful for covered populations. The state built an asset inventory, collecting information from organizations that provide digital services in North Carolina. After discovering through qualitative interviews that folks found the name confusing, the state renamed the resource to call it the Tech Resource Finder. 

Partnerships

Panelists emphasized the importance of strong and strategic partnerships to build trust within communities. Erin Huggins credited partnerships with organizations like AARP for the high response rate from seniors on North Carolina’s digital equity survey. 

Julia Brinjac described impactful partnerships in Pennsylvania. Working with sister agencies not only allowed the state to effectively collect and analyze data, but the PBDA was able to be involved in priority setting for other agencies and integrate digital skilling and internet access into statewide plans. Specifically, the Pennsylvania Department of Aging, one of the PBDA’s key partners, incorporated broadband access and digital inclusion goals into its 10-year plan, Aging Our Way. 

When discussing presenting to policymakers and translating data into policy, Brinjac emphasized how important it is to find groups that align with your goals to share the load. 

Data

Panelists also discussed the importance of translating data for policymakers in order to craft meaningful policy. Tim Morstad said that it is important to frame data clearly and strategically through storytelling and visualization to show policymakers why it is important and put a face on issues. Morstad and Julia Brinjac both recommended making clear connections between data and policy options when presenting issues to policymakers.

Meaningful Change Takes Time

Dr. Prasad started the webinar off by reminding folks that meaningful change takes time, and longer term impact may only be able to be assessed after program implementation. While this makes strong and clear measurement strategies even more important, panelists agreed on the importance of small wins to build momentum and demonstrate value to policymakers. 

Related Content

• Older Adults Online: Measuring Internet Access and Use
• Measuring Internet Access and Use of Older Adults

Quick Bits

• President Trump Appoints Adam Cassady as NTIA’s Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary and Deputy Administrator
• Attorney General Bailey Directs Letter to FCC Calling for Defaulted Funds to be Returned to Missouri
• Retaining the Power of States to Make Technology Decisions on BEAD Funding
• Maine's Message to Secretary Lutnick on BEAD

Weekend Reads

• Like electricity in the 20th century, broadband access is now an economic necessity
• Top broadband official exits Commerce Department with sharp Musk warning
• Wait, why is the White House using Starlink to ‘improve Wi-Fi’?
• Reaching for the Starlink

ICYMI from Benton

• Trust the States: Move BEAD Forward Without Disruption
• Older Adults Online: Measuring Internet Access and Use
• At the Center for Changing Lives, Digital Skills and Financial Opportunity Go Hand in Hand
• Resilient Kentucky Responds to Latest Floods

Upcoming Events

• Mar 26—Broadband Subsidy Programs Under a Trump Administration: Here Today, Gone Tomorrow? (Center for Business & Public Policy)
• Mar 26—The World Wild Web: Examining Harms Online (Subcommittee on Commerce, Manufacturing, and Trade)
• Mar 27––March 2025 Open Federal Communications Commission Meeting (FCC)
• Mar 27—Nomination Hearing for Arielle Roth to Lead the National Telecommunications and Information Administration (Senate Commerce Committee)
• April 9—SHLB Coalition Reception (Schools Health & Libraries Broadband Coalition)
• Apr 10––The DOJ v. Google Saga Continues: What’s at Stake in the Search Remedies Trial? (Information Technology & Innovation 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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