Governor Ned Lamont’s office released the 165-page Digital Equity Plan on Friday to gather public comment. The document outlines the state’s current digital gaps, existing programs to help close them, and plans to expand those programs to close the gaps. More than 25% of Connecticut residents can’t get online at all, while more than a third of residents lack simple technology skills, according to the report.
“Connecticut has taken significant steps to close the digital divide in our state,” Governor Lamont said in a statement with the announcement. “The goals in the ‘Everyone Connected’ plan extend that work, from connections and computers to training and support that help improve the lives of all residents.”
The plan was created with federal funding as part of the 2021 infrastructure bill. It was assembled by the Commission for Educational Technology, part of the Department of Administrative Services (DAS). The commission spent a year surveying 7,000 Connecticut residents from target communities to learn more about connectivity, digital education, and security understanding.
The state identified nine target communities: those in rural communities, Black or African American, Hispanic/Latino, Veterans, residents with disabilities, residents in covered households, aging residents, those with a language barrier (learning English or literacy barriers), and those who are incarcerated.
“The draft plan reflects more than a year of research, outreach, and collaboration to understand what gets in the way of residents accessing and effectively using digital tools,” said Mark Raymond, Connecticut’s chief information officer and chair of the Commission for Educational Technology.
Connectivity, education, and security understanding vary widely across these communities with those in rural areas faring generally better than the rest (70% connected, 66% understand how to accomplish tasks, 41% can handle basic cybersecurity). Black communities do slightly better than Hispanic or Latino communities, while veterans fall in between. Meanwhile, aging residents and those with disabilities or language barriers fall on the lower end of the spectrum.
The researchers also struggled to properly survey residents who are currently incarcerated but were able to conduct a focus group of the recently incarcerated and discovered many say they lack digital skills or security training.
The state currently has programs aimed at helping bridge divides for most residents, starting with the Affordable Connectivity Program, which provides discounted broadband connections to qualifying households. The draft plan includes goals to expand participation in this and other affordability programs.
Affordability is another barrier identified in the report, with computer prices higher on average than in the past. Ability, though, marks one of the largest barriers, especially for those with disabilities, the aging population, or people with language barriers. These groups may not be able to easily access education or may lack basic knowledge that comes from growing up in a connected household.
To make devices more affordable, the report proposes partnerships with universities to expand access to refurbished devices at a lower price point. The report also includes a plan to collect and distribute decommissioned devices from state agencies, taking advantage of money already spent on devices that have since been upgraded. And it includes plans to establish multi-lingual technical support to keep these devices running.
“We have seen firsthand how trusted, local partners in libraries and community centers can help residents take advantage of digital tools for advancement,” Digital Equity Program Manager Lauren Thompson said. “Our plan will expand on that impressive work to open opportunities for everyone in Connecticut.”
These are only some of the proposed programs included in the draft digital equity plan and the state wants to know what you think. You can read the entire plan on the state’s website. Once you’ve given it a look, you can provide feedback in the form of public comment through the website (English | Spanish), by emailing DigitalEquity@ct.gov, or by calling (860) 622-2032. The public comment period runs until January 20th and a final plan will be released in March.
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