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The Massachusetts Broadband Institute (MBI) issued a much-anticipated request for proposal (RFP) for the Digital Equity Partnership Program last week. Drawing on resources from the state’s new Digital Equity Fund, the program will support several key strategies to close the digital divide, including the following:
- Digital literacy training programs to help residents build skills to use digital technologies
- Efforts to distribute computers and other devices to underserved residents
- Free Wi-Fi in affordable housing developments
- Free Wi-Fi in public spaces, such as libraries, community centers and commercial corridors
- Outreach to help residents take advantage of digital literacy training and low-cost internet service plans
These funds can go to regional planning agencies, community foundations, public and nonprofit internet services providers and other nonprofits in a position to advance digital equity. Digital equity coalitions or other partnerships with a lead agency may also apply.
The Digital Equity Partnership Program aligns closely with the recommendations outlined in the digital equity policy blueprint of the Massachusetts Institute for a New Commonwealth (MassINC). With the creation of a Municipal Digital Equity Planning Program, MBI is also advancing the most urgent recommendation in the blueprint. Cities will be able to access skilled consultants to help assess their needs and develop comprehensive digital equity strategies. These plans will then roll up into the state digital equity plan and help determine how Massachusetts allocates the large windfall it will receive for broadband through the federal Bipartisan Infrastructure Law.
The resources MBI will be deploying in the coming months present a transformative opportunity for Gateway Cities. Digital technology has increasingly large implications for education, workforce development, health and well-being and housing and economic development. With these dollars, burgeoning digital equity efforts in several Gateway Cities will be able to expand. Gateway Cities that have yet to develop digital equity strategies can now access funding and support to launch robust efforts without further delay.
The creation of a fellowship program for digital equity is the only near-term MassINC recommendation that MBI has yet to adopt. Three-year fellowship positions modeled on MassDevelopment’s Transformative Development Initiative appear to be more critical than ever. Staff capacity is severely constrained in municipal governments. Even on a good day, few Gateway Cities have personnel on hand with expertise in digital equity issues.
A fellowship program run by a sophisticated, statewide, quasi-public agency will have the reach necessary to recruit, train and support professionals who can lead comprehensive digital equity campaigns. In the coming years, broadband investments will occur alongside other infrastructure upgrades in Gateway Cities. Anyone who has attempted to address more than one utility when digging up city streets will tell you that this coordination is complex and extremely time-consuming. Staff with infrastructure expertise and the ability to lead cross-functional teams will be more in demand than ever. With a strong fellowship program, MBI can put Gateway City governments in a better position to win the future.
