The Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act identifies Veterans as one of eight “covered populations” and encourages states to research and address the barriers Veterans face in accessing, adopting, and benefiting from internet access and other digital technologies.

States’ digital equity plans acknowledge the common challenges facing Veterans and other covered populations while also developing strategies to address the unique needs of Veterans. Some states have revamped existing programs (e.g., adapting an existing digital literacy program to improve the means of outreach and potential partnership with Veteran organizations), while other states have highlighted the need for new expertise (e.g., cybersecurity skills training). Some have brought attention to particularly underserved cohorts such as Veterans living in rural communities and those with lower incomes. Many states—including Colorado, Minnesota, Nebraska, Oregon, Virginia, and West Virginia—reference leveraging existing assets and programs such as the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs’ Digital Divide Consult and Tech for Troops as options for Veterans to access connected devices and digital skills training.

To best support digital equity efforts for Veterans, states can leverage key strategies, policy recommendations, and opportunities for future research and collaboration. Key strategies for optimal inclusion of Veteran-specific needs in state digital equity plans consist of the following:

1. Conduct a Comprehensive Needs Assessment
   • States should periodically perform a thorough needs assessment to ensure that the digital barriers specific to Veterans are consistently identified.
   • To assess Veterans’ needs and ensure that data is retrieved from diverse sources, engage trusted channels such as VSOs, VA Medical Centers, and other Veteran-specific networks.
2. Develop Tailored Digital Skills Programs and a Workforce Strategy
   • Establish customized digital literacy training for Veterans, invoking familiar military concepts.
   • Incorporate tangible cybersecurity knowledge to overcome the lack of awareness of perceived cyber threats.
   • Provide specialized assessments, career counseling, training, and referrals for Veterans.
3. Partner With State and Federal Agencies and Community Organizations
   • State broadband offices should continue to collaborate with federal agencies (e.g., VA, United States Department of Agriculture (USDA), National Telecommunications & Information Administration (NTIA), FCC), universities, VSOs, and other organizations to develop and provide programs to maximize digital equity for Veterans and all covered populations.
   • Engage trusted sources (e.g., VSOs, VA, and Veteran community centers) to increase awareness of programs and resources and assist Veterans with digital navigation and education.
   • Integrate and align digital equity efforts with other Veteran-supporting services such as employment, health and wellness, and housing.
4. Invest in Underserved Areas
   • Fund broadband projects that target the infrastructure development in rural, under-resourced, and low-connectivity locations.
   • Ensure ongoing, affordable digital technology access for members of this population, including Veterans.
   • Prioritize telehealth care delivery to enhance accessibility for Veterans with mobility issues and Veterans living in rural areas with long distances to travel for care.

Veterans must be equipped with the tools, skills, and knowledge necessary to access essential services and opportunities through digital platforms. Bridging the digital divide for Veterans may ease their transition from military to civilian life, streamline access to employment and educational opportunities, and facilitate social interconnectedness. Development and implementation of digital equity initiatives require the collaboration of a multitude of stakeholders, including state broadband offices, federal agencies, private-sector entities, Veterans, and Veteran advocate groups, as well as the Department of Veterans Affairs and other federal agencies and community organizations. With inclusive engagement through trusted channels and programs tailored to address their unique needs, Veterans will thrive in our increasingly digital society with the honor and respect deserved for our nation’s heroes. 

Attend Veterans and Digital Equity: Planning for Success, a webinar discussion about how states are meeting the digital technology needs of Veterans on November 12, 2024.

Dr. Leonie Heyworth is the deputy director for clinical services, Telehealth Services, at the Veterans Health Administration. In this role, she combines her clinical and research experience to help expand telehealth services to the 6 million Veterans who rely on the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs for health care. Heyworth is an expert on national telehealth programs and is passionate about her work in leading initiatives and developing policies to help front-line VA staff deliver high-quality, accessible care to Veterans. She practices primary care at the Jennifer Moreno VA Medical Center in San Diego, California.

As Program Manager for Accessing Telehealth through Local Area Stations (ATLAS), Lesly Roose, RN, BSN, MS combines her clinical experience with her dedication to telehealth to provide services for over nine million Veterans who rely on VA for health care.  Ms. Roose has been instrumental in developing the ATLAS program to bridge the digital divide by overcoming social, economic, and geographic barriers by working with public and private entities to establish private locations within Veteran’s home communities where they can receive VA care via telehealth.

DeAsia Nichols is a dedicated program analyst with the Department of Veteran Affairs in the Office of Connected Care: Digital Health Office.  Her work to support VA’s efforts to enhance digital connectivity for Veterans has included extensive research into state broadband and digital equity plans.

Reid Sharkey is a Community Broadband Specialist & Research Associate at the Benton Institute for Broadband & Society. He completed a year of Americorps service in 2023 which was his introduction to working in broadband and digital equity policy. Sharkey first worked with the Benton Institute during his service term. He assisted in administering the Benton Institute's Accelerate community engagement and broadband infrastructure planning program in Tennessee, where he was serving as an American Connection Corps Fellow at the Tennessee Department of Economic and Community Development. Reid received a Masters of Public Policy from George Mason University in 2022.

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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