How States Plan To Track Digital Equity Progress

The Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act sets an ambitious overarching goal: internet for all. But past access and adoption, states are asked to think about how increased access to and use of broadband can drive equitable outcomes in areas like access to health care and essential services, education and job training, and participation in the society, economy, and civic institutions of the Nation. In planning to achieve digital equity, states are responsible for developing and measuring the key performance indicators (KPIs) that can demonstrate tangible progress toward this goal, along five “measurable objectives:”

1. The availability of, and affordability of access to, fixed and wireless broadband technology;
2. The online accessibility and inclusivity of public resources and services; 
3. Digital literacy;  
4. Awareness of, and the use of, measures to secure the online privacy of, and cybersecurity with respect to, an individual; and
5. The availability and affordability of consumer devices and technical support for those devices. 

In Measuring Measurable Objectives: How States Will Track Digital Equity Progress, we've analyzed state digital equity plans to understand how states are defining these indicators, what existing data sources they are using, what new data they are collecting, and how they are using this information to guide their digital equity work. As states begin implementing their digital equity plans, understanding these metrics and methodologies will allow stakeholders to track the nation’s progress toward universal broadband adoption.