Emerging Best Practices for Developing Effective, Measurable State Digital Equity Metrics

An extraordinary, first-ever, nationwide effort in digital equity and opportunity is currently underway. Thanks to funding provided under the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA), all 50 states and six territories are in the final stages of developing first-of-their-kind statewide digital equity and digital opportunity plans (Plans). Only a year ago, not a single state or territory had developed a comprehensive statewide Plan of this scale focused on the full spectrum of internet adoption issues. As we approach the end of the year, and with many plans now made available for public review and comment, I step back here to consider some of what has been developed and achieved—even before the Plans are provided to the overseeing federal entity, the National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) of the U.S. Department of Commerce. I consider the critical issue of metrics—what are the goals that are developed by the states, and how do they propose to measure current status and then track changes toward those goals?