The Power of Digital Navigators – Retail-Style

In May 2021, the Federal Communications Commission launched the Emergency Broadband Benefit (EBB) to help Americans stay connected to reliable Internet service during the COVID pandemic. Since evolving into the Affordable Connectivity Program (ACP), the program has connected nearly 20 million households nationwide. But despite the program’s success, millions remain unconnected because cost is not the only barrier to getting online. Additional barriers include access to devices, digital literacy skills, and ongoing technical support. To address these obstacles, organizations like Human-I-T are playing a crucial role. Human-I-T is deeply embedded in its Detroit, Michigan, community. Over the past few years, it has worked with partners to distribute 17,400 devices and connect nearly 2,100 households in Motor City. In June 2023, Human-I-T opened the first-in-the-nation digital equity retail location in Detroit – the Human-I-T on 7 Mile Road. This true digital equity hub provides a one-stop shop for all things digital adoption and offers low-cost devices, digital literacy training, tech support, and assistance with signing up for programs like ACP. This “hub” approach is groundbreaking and helps connect the unconnected to America’s Excellent Internet. Human-I-T on 7 Mile Road is a true innovation, bringing digital equity to retail and offering a blueprint for other digital navigator and digital equity organizations. For more resources on digital adoption, visit Network:On’s Connect20 toolkit.