The key to moving digital equity forward? Storytelling and collaboration, national advocates say

Moving digital equity forward requires getting people in power to care. Francella Ochillo, the former executive director of Next Century Cities, says the starting point for tackling digital equity is acknowledging that some people have better, faster and cheaper access to technology, and some people are left to rely on public resources. It’s important for community organizations to perfect the way they explain this issue and the data about digital equity to make a bigger impact—and get more people to care about digital equity in the first place. There is never enough money to provide adequate resources for digital equity work, said Gigi Sohn, senior fellow at the Benton Institute for Broadband and Society, a national organization focused on access to affordable broadband. For example, the Affordable Connectivity Program (ACP) is expected to run out of money in 2024, which would leave families who rely on that subsidy without support. Sohn would like to see more philanthropic organizations and large companies get involved in this effort like the way Comcast has. She referenced Comcast’s 12-year-old Internet Essentials program and the company's efforts to spread the word about ACP. “It’s about enabling full participation in our economy, our democracy, our healthcare system, our education system, and hopefully we can message better, we can get more resources,” Sohn said. “Trust me, I know it’s difficult. It’s been frustrating. But there are more foundations and local foundations also coming into the field.”