Digital Literacy

Earlier this year, the Benton Institute for Broadband & Society published The Human Infrastructure of Broadband: Looking Back, Looking Around, and Looking Ahead, highlighting how investment in the physical infrastructure of broadband—fiber-optic cables, etc—may not meet its full potential if we do not also invest in the human infrastructure of broadband—the necessary social and relational complement to the work of building physical infrastructure.

In Appalachia Kentucky where reliable internet access and digital literacy can mean the difference between opportunity and isolation, Ashley Smith is helping people navigate a new path forward. As the local Digital Navigator, Ashley has worked one-on-one with hundreds of residents, connecting them to education, jobs, and essential online resources. One of Ashley’s first clients was a college student struggling to use Blackboard, a platform essential for online coursework. Frustrated and falling behind, she turned to Ashley for help.

On November 1, 2024, the Wisconsin Public Service Commission (PSC) and its Wisconsin Broadband Office (WBO) received over $13 million in Digital Equity Capacity Grant Program funding from the National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA). With this funding, WBO will implement the activities in its state Digital Equity Plan.

On December 6, 2024, the National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) awarded the Maine Connectivity Authority (MCA) over $5.7 million in Digital Equity Capacity Grant Program funding towards closing the digital divide in the state. Maine plans to use these funds to spearhead a number of initiatives, including:

There’s been great progress in recognizing how essential digital skills are! But which skills are those, and who needs them when? In this series we'll look at the framing of digital skills training, starting with the basics, and to provide tools for you to use. This is the first of two posts on digital skills. Part 1 presents a model for digital skill learning purposes, the link between individual and broader field needs, and introduces digital skill assessments, lists, and frameworks.

On November 1, 2024, the National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) awarded the West Virginia Department of Economic Development (WVDED) over $9 million in Digital Equity Capacity Grant Program funding to implement the West Virginia Digital Equity Plan. Major activities NTIA is supporting include:

The City of Seattle’s Information Technology department (Seattle IT) supports digital equity programs and services as a coalition organization. The City began its digital equity work in the mid-1990s in response to community advocacy concerning access to information technology.

The Be Linked Alabama initiative is the state’s united effort to expand access to affordable, reliable high-speed internet to all Alabamians. Coordinated by the Alabama Department of Economic and Community Affairs (ADECA), Be Linked Alabama led to the development of the Alabama Statewide Digital Opportunity Plan.

The New York State Digital Equity Plan––created by the state's ConnectALL Office––envisions a state transformed by digital infrastructure that brings to all New York residents access to high-speed, reliable, and affordable broadband for education, economic growth, and full participation in civic life.

Everyone On is a national nonprofit organization that has operated digital equity and inclusion programs since 2012.