143035 WUS001066 Workbook - Laserfiche WebLink

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Digital Equity Action Plan The Digital Equity Action Plan is a local plan developed to identify the needs, existing assets, barriers to full use, and strategies to support Covered Populations. The plan should be as inclusive as possible of local stakeholders. The activities planned and implemented through this process build toward achieving digital equity. Digital Equity is a phrase that is used to encompass that digital access and skills are now required for full par- ticipation in many aspects of society and the economy. Digital Equity links Digital Inclusion to social justice and highlights that a lack of access and/or skills can further isolate individuals and communities from a broad range of opportunities. Things that support digital equity include Public Internet Access, Public Device Access, Afford- ability, Adoption, Digital literacy skills, Online safety, and internet-connected device availability/affordability. These are all things that are as important as the physical network infrastructure for communities to achieve bridging the digital divide. Each BAT and Tribe participating in this effort will be provided digital equity data at the onset of this planning effort that has been developed from publicly available data. This may be utilized as a jumping-off point for understanding the demographics of the area and common digital equity measurements. Local resources and discussions are critical to further understand the needs and dynamics of the area and strategize solutions for gaps that are known or found to exist. This section of the workbook is broken down into five parts: ❶Review Local Population Demographic Base Map Data ❷Collect Local Digital Equity Asset Inventory Data ❸Conduct a Digital Equity Needs Assessment ❹Identify Barriers to Broadband Access and Adoption ❺Potential Paths Forward 1. Review Local Digital Equity Indicators Base Map Data Similar to the broadband infrastructure data we have reviewed on this map, we have also collected publicly available data from various sources on demographic and digital equity indicators for the populations in your community and have integrated them into the broadband base map for your community. The layers on this map will include things like data from the census on income levels, access to device ownership, unemploy- ment, median age, level of education attained, Affordable Connectivity Program eligibility and participation, and more. As a group, we’ll review these indicators to understand if there are populations or areas that may benefit from additional programs or resources to support with realization of the benefits and opportunities that high-speed Internet service can bring. We will also work with you to identify what additional data is available or may be needed to develop a more comprehensive understanding of the needs and barriers to broadband access, adoption, and use. WRITING BROADBAND ACTION AND DIGITAL EQUITY PLANS 20