Crossing the Digital Divide Together

By Matthew Summy
Vice President of Strategic Planning for Impact & Inclusion, Comcast

As our nation makes unprecedented multi-billion-dollar commitments to make high-speed internet available to every American, stakeholders like Chamber leaders have a vital role to play by working to bring in resources to connect unserved communities and advocating for smart, best-in-class policies and approaches to maximize every federal dollar spent.

First, that means prioritizing high-quality, high-speed service to unserved communities, an opportunity made possible by the tens of billions of new investment provided by the American Rescue Plan and the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law – not to mention over $2 trillion in private sector spending since 1996.

Second, Chamber leaders can help make sure these new connections actually get put to productive use once they are built – by working to remove barriers to adoption and advocate that important provisions in the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law that open the door to accelerated investment in digital and workforce skills are prioritized. It is critical that local Chambers weigh in with state, county, and local governments as they develop plans and partnerships to not only help people get online, but also upskill in a manner consistent with the workforce needs of businesses across every sector.

Congress has helped to move this effort forward by creating the FCC’s Affordable Connectivity Program (ACP) which provides income-constrained households with up to $30 for broadband. This groundbreaking program combined with highly accessible and affordable broadband program offerings like Comcast’s Internet Essentials mean that income-constrained families can connect to broadband today for free – but only if they know about it. State, county and local governments are uniquely positioned to educate people about and help them take advantage of ACP.

Expanding affordability alone isn’t sufficient – only 18% of non-adopters identify cost as the main reason they are not online. The broader percentage of obstacles identified are extremely complex and often interrelated, such as a lack of digital skills, doubt that the internet can make life better, and distrust for programs or institutions.

That’s why Congress made funding available for state and local policymakers to promote holistic solutions to digital equity in addition to broadband deployment. Chambers must ensure their communities have a plan not only to connect unserved locations, but also for adoption programming like digital skills training, multilingual outreach and sign-up assistance, and “digital navigators” who can assist with one-on-one support.

Digital navigators meet people where they are and help them along their digital journey. They can also help to connect individuals to programs to develop their digital skills confidence and ability. Programs like Per Scholas’ free tech training, NPower’s Command Force Coalition which is creating new opportunities for women in tech, and the Hispanic Federation’s digital skills training initiative in Hispanic communities across the country are all providing valuable skills needed for the jobs of today and tomorrow. The digital equity funding that the government has made available presents an important opportunity to scale these impactful programs and best practices to further strengthen our workforce nationwide, but do so in partnership with the local organizations and workforce boards in your communities.

According to a recent National Skills Council study, over 90% of help-wanted ads call for some level of digital skills. Yet one in three American workers lack even foundational digital capabilities. At a time when necessities like healthcare and banking have largely moved online in the wake of the great pandemic shift, older Americans struggle with digital access programs and have great difficulty accessing these staple services. And studies show that individuals with disabilities also find greater wellbeing and improved physical health once they learn to participate and connect online. Expanding digital skills is vital for any community that wants to compete in the economy of the future – and also bring immense human and social benefits.

Chambers can lead the way calling for sustained investment in digital skills-building and lifelong learning. Closing the digital divide is one of the great public policy challenges of our time and one of the most immediate ways we can improve the lives of millions of our fellow citizens. Comcast welcomes the opportunity to work with ACCE and Chamber leaders around the country. To access resources and learn more about how your Chamber can effectively advocate for available funding to close the digital divide in your community, email DigitalNavigators@comcast.com.

As a media and technology company, Comcast is committed to using the power of its platforms, people and reach to create positive change and a more equitable society.