Human Infrastructure of Broadband
"The human infrastructure of broadband refers to the people and organizations who provide direct support to individuals to access affordable internet and devices and teach people the digital skills necessary to make use of connectivity and fully participate in modern society."
To help bridge the digital divide, the U.S. federal government committed $65 billion through the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act to address broadband availability, affordability, and adoption. The $42.5 billion Broadband Equity Access and Deployment (BEAD) Program invests in physical broadband infrastructure. The $2.75 billion Digital Equity Act, which aims “to ensure that all people and communities have the skills, technology, and capacity needed to reap the full benefits of our digital economy," invests in the human infrastructure of broadband. An investment in this human infrastructure is necessary to ensure a return on investment in the physical infrastructure.
Working with partners and experts in the field, the Benton Institute for Broadband & Society examined how the human infrastructure helps people, particularly historically marginalized communities, make meaningful use of the internet. The project aims to bolster this human infrastructure and develop policy and program recommendations that can sustain this work even after current federal investments have ended.
Looking Back, Looking Around and Looking Ahead
Our first human infrastructure of broadband report explains how this is the necessary social and relational complement to the work of building physical infrastructure.
Whether a librarian helping a veteran fill out an online benefits application at a public computer, a digital navigator assisting a senior citizen in signing up for affordable home broadband, a digital skills trainer teaching social media privacy in Spanish, or a device refurbisher helping students find devices to use at home—all comprise the human infrastructure of broadband.
Although the term is new, the human infrastructure of broadband is not, nor is it static. This human support has evolved alongside the internet, computers, and the ongoing digitization of our culture and society and the report provides the historical and conceptual underpinnings of this work.
The report includes a landscape assessment of the ongoing work in the field and develops a taxonomy of the human infrastructure of broadband: core, complementary, and coalition. Delineating these models and their subtypes clarifies their comparative advantages and limitations and points to avenues for garnering resources and support.
The Three C's of the Human Infrastructure of Broadband
The articles below provide a more in-depth look at the Core, Complementary and Coalition models.
Core –– Organizations with Digital Equity at Their Core
- Denver Public Library, People Skills are the Most Important Quality When Choosing Digital Navigators By Shelli Golson-Mickens
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The Mercedes Library Exemplifies a Vital Effort to Promote Digital Independence By Shelli Golson-Mickens
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How Everyone On Navigates Change to Deliver Digital Equity By Chris Ritzo
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Free Geek, Devices, and Digital Equity By Caroline Stratton
Complementary – Integrating Digital Equity into Other Support and Services
- Mass General Brigham Understands that Digital Equity Supports Health Equity By Chris Ritzo
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Northwest Center Engages Community, Advances Digital Skills By Grace Tepper
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The Cuyahoga Metropolitan Housing Authority Leans Into Collaboration By Chris Ritzo
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North Carolina Community College System Brings the Classroom to the Learners By Tsion Tesfaye
Coalition – Working Collaboratively to Advance Digital Equity
Methodology
Research Advisory Council
The Benton Institute for Broadband & Society led this research project in close collaboration with a research advisory committee of prominent leaders and researchers in the field:
- Larra Clark, American Library Association
- Colin Rhinesmith, Digital Equity Research Center, Metropolitan New York Library Council
- Caroline Stratton, National Digital Inclusion Alliance (NDIA)
NDIA and the Public Library Association (a division of the American Library Association) also contributed critical data and research about ongoing work in the field.
Survey
We conducted a survey to understand the wide range of support people provide to connect others to broadband, compiling a database of over 250 programs.
Case Studies
We conducted a dozen case studies, across the three program types—Core, Complementary and Coalition—to understand how they function and who they are best positioned to serve.
Expert Working Groups
We convened three expert working groups, each focused on the kind of support provided:
- Helping people build digital skills
- Connecting people to a broadband service
- Providing access to devices and tech support
The assembled groups reflected on current best practices and the support needed to continue to provide these services.
Policy Consultations
We brought the insights from the above research to a group of policy entrepreneurs to develop a blueprint for sustaining the human infrastructure of broadband.
The Human Infrastructure of Broadband project was made possible with support from The Pew Charitable Trusts.