Leaving Cleveland’s ‘worst-connected city’ status behind

The irony — and frustration — of Cleveland’s status as one of the least-connected cities in the country is that we are home to a number of the early digital inclusion leaders that helped to put the issue on the national stage. So, why haven’t we made more progress towards digital equity? The answer is leadership, and the opportunity to reverse this trend is now. As Mayor Justin Bibb establishes his administration’s priorities and staff, he has the opportunity to shape a digitally equitable future for Cleveland citizens, and to ensure we use our resources to become a success story and not a cautionary tale. Here are three things that Cleveland’s new leadership team can prioritize right now to help everyone in our city be part of the connected world:

1. Make digital equity someone’s job
2. Create the immediate and long-term workforce that will connect everyone
3. Plan now for sustainable funding

[Cleveland native Samantha Schartman-Cycyk is president of the Marconi Society, a nonprofit dedicated to digital equity]