BOSTON - Thursday, October 6, 2022 - Mayor
Michelle Wu today shared the results of a comprehensive
digital equity assessment which will inform the development of a plan to build a
more connected Boston, expand digital services, and ensure all residents
thrive with improved access to digital technologies. This digital equity
plan will drive Boston’s work to connect every family to digital services
and opportunity.
At the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic,
32,000 Boston households did not have broadband access. The pandemic
reinforced the importance of high speed internet, necessary for
conferencing systems and other bandwidth intensive services (currently
measured on a federal level as 25 megabits for download and 3 megabits for
upload). This digital divide reinforces inequalities across Boston as
access to broadband is critical for residents to study or work remotely,
access telehealth and government services, and stay connected with their
communities.
“Digital access to education, opportunity,
healthcare, and government services enable our communities to thrive,”
said Mayor Michelle Wu. “We must work to improve our understanding
of the gaps that some of our neighbors experience, and bridge those gaps.”
“Having access to the internet and the
knowledge of how to use digital resources are crucial for our residents,
immigrant neighbors, Boston Housing Authority residents, and communities of
color to engage in everyday life, and it is important that we ensure
internet access and digital equity for everyone,” said City Council
President Ed Flynn. “I want to thank Mayor Wu and her Administration
for their work in advancing digital equity. I’m committed to working with
everyone on bridging the Digital Divide.”
“I’m proud that the Boston City Council
proactively funded this study and also recently dedicated $2 million in
American Rescue Plan funds to programs to improve digital equity across all
our communities,” said Councilor Kenzie Bok, chair of the
Committee on City Services and Innovation Technology. “Access to the
internet is not an optional amenity that should be rationed by ability to
pay: it is an essential utility for work, school, and civic participation
for every Bostonian.”
The digital equity
assessment, Analysis
of Broadband Availability, Digital Equity Programs, and Fiber Build Costs, prepared
for the City by CTC Technology and Energy (CTC) identified that in the past
decade Boston residents have gained increased access to different internet
service providers. This increase in options has led to higher quality and
lower costs given the same level of connectivity. The assessment also notes
that affordability, quality of service, skills and attitudes continue to
present gaps for some communities, especially households that already
require housing support or face other barriers. This assessment has
informed the City’s current initiatives in the short term and will guide
the City’s Department of
Innovation and Technology (DoIT) next steps to improve data around existing
digital gaps and needs. An executive summary of the report is
available here.
Based on the findings of the assessment,
the City will create a digital equity plan to identify digital needs and
opportunities of Boston's communities, as well as grow existing programs
and evaluate their impact Citywide. The plan will provide a crucial
framework to remove barriers around digital access and help give all Boston
residents the opportunity to thrive. The City will engage residents,
service providers, and other key partners to develop the plan, which will
guide the City’s digital equity work across departments and be shared with
the state as it develops its digital equity plan.
“At the beginning of the pandemic about
32,000 households did not have broadband access. Today 30,000 households in
Boston have been enrolled in new federal broadband benefits available
through the Affordable Connectivity Program,” said Chief
Information Officer Santiago Garces. “Since May of this year our team
has worked to enroll almost 10,000 households through close partnership
with service providers and community organizations. We have more work
ahead, especially as we work to make digital access more resilient to
changing circumstances as we saw during the pandemic.”
The City intends to select a partner to
develop a digital equity survey that will be used as a key mechanism moving
forward to more consistently engage Boston residents around their digital
access. The survey aims to identify areas of need in specific communities
and serve as a foundation for the City to work collaboratively to address
gaps with those groups. The survey will be designed and delivered
throughout the next year.
The Department of Information Technology
(DoIT) is focused on engaging residents around access to digital tools and
connectivity, expanding existing programming, and launching new initiatives
to boldly address digital gaps.
In February, Mayor Wu and Senator Ed
Markey announced an investment of over $12 million to
bring digital equity and inclusion to nearly 23,000 Boston public housing
residents, library users, and school-age families through the Long Term
Lending program. The program bridges the digital divide by providing free
access to 6,200 Chromebook laptops and 3,000 Wi-Fi routers, supported
through funding from the federal Emergency Connectivity Fund. The Boston
Public Library, Boston Housing Authority, and over 20 community partners
have distributed over 7,000 of these devices to Boston residents. BPL
patrons can request a Chromebook at www.bpl.org/long-term-lending/.
The Affordable
Connectivity Program (ACP) is a federal program providing $14.2 billion to
expand broadband affordability. ACP provides eligible households with a
subsidy for broadband service ($30/month) and up to $100 in a one-time
discount for a digital device. The program was funded by the Infrastructure
Investment and Jobs Acts (IIJA) in 2021, with the strong support of Senator
Markey. Over 30,000 Boston households have signed up for broadband service
and devices through ACP, including 10,000 that have been enrolled since May
2022 through close partnership with service providers and community
organizations.
"The COVID-19 pandemic has cast a
spotlight on inequities, and particularly on the digital divide that’s
impacting our young learners. The Emergency Connectivity Fund delivered a
long-overdue investment for Boston families and their students so that all
of the Commonwealth’s kids have the opportunity to learn online and
offline,” said Senator Ed Markey. “Across the country, millions
of broadband connections have been made to students who once lacked access
to a reliable internet connection at home. As this funding begins to run
dry, we must fight to preserve these hard-earned gains by finding a
permanent solution to the Homework Gap and keeping Boston’s students and
their educators connected.”
Additionally, DoIT and CTC will launch two
broadband speed tests. The free Speed Survey will gauge the upload and
download speeds of Boston households. This survey is available on the City
website here. The long-term Speed Test will continuously
sample every neighborhood's speed using a device that will be plugged into
the routers of volunteer residents. Over the next several months, CTC will
partner with the City and volunteers to monitor and collect data on the
quality of broadband in every neighborhood and report those findings
publicly. These tests will inform the City’s advocacy for consistent and
reliable broadband quality and availability.
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