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Digital Access & Equity Brownbag

Meeting Goals

Inform MAPC staff of ongoing Digital Access and Equity work projects and approach.

Learn about areas where digital access and equity work might intersect with your projects or network of stakeholders. 

Get your ideas on how to take this work forward at MAPC!

Today's

Agenda

Please post questions and comments in the chat!

Important Partners and Programs to Know

MAPC's Digital Access & Equity Efforts to Date

Introduction to Digital Access and Equity

Group Discussion

Next Steps

What is

Digital Equity?

Digital Equity is a condition in which all individuals and communities have the information technology capacity needed for full participation in our society, democracy and economy.  Digital Equity is necessary for civic and cultural participation, employment, lifelong learning, health and access to essential services.

- National Digital Inclusion Alliance

Three Determining Factors of Digital Access

Connection

Adequate Device

Literacy

a fast and affordable

Ability to use safley use technology​ & ensure functioning equipment​

"Broadband" is defined by Speed

Broadband Affordability Gap

Project Sample Overview

Digital Access & Equity Plan

Everett, Chelsea, Revere

Digital Access & Equity Plan

Urban Edge:

Columbus Ave Corridor

Gateway City

Wi-Fi Grant

Mass Broadband Institute

Regional Convenings

Quarterly Webinars

Next on March 15th

Digital

Navigators

Facilitated MNWB & NDIA & CBO youth works positions

Bridge to Broadband

DESE & ESH partnership connection data on students

Digital Equity Policy Agenda

Compiling  for MAPC

Digital Equity Reseach Agenda

Potenital fiber mapping and impact analysis avenues

BU Spark

Student Reseach

2021 partnership to start to explore speed test data

Wi-Fi Deployment Toolkit

Draft toolkit/videos sharing our experiences

Let's Discuss Today

Other MAPC Digital Equity Projects 

Digital Access & Equity Plan

Everett, Chelsea, Revere

Advise Capital Investment

Inform Policy Decisions

Identify Program Needs

Digital Access & Equity Plan:

Everett, Chelsea, Revere

Phase 1A

Explored a variety of datasets and documented current policies and the broadband market. 

Existing Conditions Analysis:

Phase 1B

Survey with CBO and Muni partners. 2,000+ responses to help guide & ground-truth effrots.

Community Needs Assessment

Phase 2

Leveraged Cable Franchise Agreements to obtain ISP network maps & purchased fiber route data.

Infrastructure & Technology Evaluation

Phase 3

Provided slides to Muni and CBO partners. Currently finalizing website and final version.

Plan and Program Development

Digital Access & Equity Plan:

Everett, Chelsea, Revere

More About the Community Survey

2,166 Responses

Connection

Devices

Literacy

Does your household currently have an internet subscription or Wi-Fi hotspot?

How often does more than one person need to use the internet in your household at the same time?

If training were available, would you be interested in a career in the Technology or IT Field?

Draft Plan Visualizations

Data exchange with Internet Service Providers will allow the school district to fully understand which households do not and can not be served by a wired connection.

DESE / Education Superhighway Bridge to Broadband Program

Draft Connection Recommendations

Funding available to deploy WiFi service in and near public properties.  Could be used to create the infrastructure needed for a larger community wide WiFi network.

Mass Broadband Institute Gateway City WiFi Grant

Confirm participation by School District

Work with MAPC to develop program deployment

Release an RFI for Municipal Rooftop Use

Rooftops of municipal buildings could be leveraged by internet service providers like Starry and Netblazer to provide competitive options.

Inventory and RFP municipal roofs, focusing on tall or elevated properties

Next Steps

Gateway City Wi-Fi Grant

Everett, Chelsea, Revere, Quincy, Malden

Connecting housing authority properties to fast open, free, public wifi in units

Program has since expanded beyond "Wi-Fi" & Gateway Cities

Gateway City Wi-Fi Grant

Everett, Chelsea, Revere, Quincy, Malden

In Massachusetts, there are about 225,000 households that do not have an internet subscription.

- Education Superhighway

240 Housing Authorities in Massachusetts

Key Opportunity at Local Housing Authorities

About 90,000 units of low income housing for families, seniors, and persons with disabilities.

Free Apartment WiFi Model

Urban Edge:Columbus Ave Corridor

Working with Community Development Corporation 2,000+ units. + other CDC's, CBO's and municipal leaders

Broadband network feasibility for Columbus Ave Corridor

In June 2021 the U.S. Department of Commerce’s National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) released a map that displays key indicators of broadband needs across the country.

Columbus Ave Corridor stood out. 

NTIA National

Indicators of Broadband Need

Next phase move to building a network. While growing network of partners.

Phases of Work

Existing Conditions

Community Needs Assessment

Infrastructure and Technology Evaluation

Digital Operation Framework

Urban Edge:Columbus Ave Corridor

According to Census data, 27 to 39% of “Columbus Ave Corridor” households do not have access to the internet.

What was learned from the Survey? 

~27% 

Of residents do not currently currently have an internet subscription.

That number is just 7% when we look at all US households 

Urban Edge:Columbus Ave Corridor

According to this Census data, 19% of “Columbus Ave Corridor” population are seniors.

What was learned from the Survey? 

Urban Edge:Columbus Ave Corridor

Took action because of the large expense

~61%

of survey respondents have had to cancel or change their internet subscription because it is too expensive​.

Among non-broadband users, 45% say a reason why they do not have broadband at home is that the monthly cost is too expensive (Pew Research Center)

Affordability is often cited as a primary reason for the lack of an internet connection.

Urban Edge:Columbus Ave Corridor

Digital

Resources

Staff

Programming

Network

People

Social Networks

Community Groups

Fiber routes

Equipment

Design, installation and maintenance

Buildings

Towers

Poles

Rooms

Community Broadband Network Assets

Physical

Organizational

Social

Urban Edge:Columbus Ave Corridor

Network Design

Urban Edge:Columbus Ave Corridor

Partners to Know

$30 subsidy available to income eligible residents for internet, $75 for device. acpbenefit.org

Administering $46.5B in IIJA funds for broadband. Includes a $100M allocation to Mass as a baseline. Final determination forthcoming.

Bridge to Broadband Program connects school districts with data on unserved households to focus resources.

Pioneering "Train the Trainer" program focused on digital literacy and basic device and connection provision.

Digital Navigators program model designed to build capacity and resources within communities. Currently partnering with MetroNorth Workforce Investment Board for first program in our region.

Working With You!

BREAKOUT!

•  

• What connections exist to your work? 

• How does MAPC integrate this work? 

• What might we do next? 

•  

We will be taking notes in Jamboard. Feel free to contribute idea and answer there.

Digital Equity Reports

Chelsea, Everett and Revere

The Plan will outline the different paths available to improve internet access within the region, accompanied by approximate costs, estimated timelines, and proposed partnerships. The plan's recommendations are structured around achieving the following goals that were established by the stakeholders involved in the project:

• Remove barriers to adoption that prevent universal access to reliable and high speed (100/100) internet.
• Augment the capacity of key stakeholders such as IT Departments, School Districts, Libraries, Community based organizations, and municipal staff to address the digital divide
• Ensure all residents who desire to improve their digital / technology literacy have a pathway to educational opportunities at a range of skill levels, offered in community appropriate languages and settings.
• Promote competition among internet service providers offering broadband service.

picture of plans

Boston University Spark Program

MAPC partnered with the Spring 2021 Boston University Spark program. Two student groups from CS506 class worked with MAPC organize and analyze speed test data. Team 1 focused on Mlab and Ookla while Team 2 focused on FCC data.

Note: Find reference photo of the work:

In June 2021 the U.S. Department of Commerce’s National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) released a map that  displays key indicators of broadband needs across the country.

Columbus Ave Corridor stood out

National

Indicators of Broadband Need

The Columbus Ave Corridor experiences substantially higher levels of digital divide issues than Boston as a whole.

Digital Access Needs Compared to Boston

Commonly identified needs

Digital Equity Needs

Connection, literacy and devices must work together. Even with the existence of an internet connection, residents need support in strengthening literacy skills and accessing devices.  Language barriers limit the effectiveness of digital equity efforts.

Stakeholders highlighted the need for internet access in order to allow community members to attend school, conduct work, search for jobs, access government assistance, and connect with friends and family. The need is even greater amongst the marginalized communities stakeholders serve.

There are a limited number of existing digital access programs (supported by TGH), and a strong desire was expressed for these programs, either by residents or by organizations who believe increased digital literacy will improve their own services. Stakeholders highlighted the digital literacy needs of seniors, career (re)training, business owners and ESL learners.

Businesses should better take advantage of online tools and be "document ready"

Other Work

• Regional Convenings
• Youthworks Digital Navigators
• Education Super Highway Bridge to Broadband program

Regional Conveninings

• MAPC convenes regional meetings on digital access topics

Prior convenings have focused on understanding Open Access Networks, identifying American Rescue Act (ARPA) opportunities, and promoting Digital Navigator Programs

Reach out to digitalaccess @ mapc with ideas or topics you would like to see at a regional convening and sign up for our newsletter

Example slide

Youth Works Digital Navigators

MAPC worked with the MetroNorth Workforce Investment Board to seek funding through the State's Commonwealth Corporation YouthWorks, and additional corporate support from Comcast

By combining these funds, the MetroNorth Workforce Board was able to hire the National Digital Inclusion Alliance to train and support 15 young people, aged 17-21, in Everett, Revere and Malden to provide digital resource naviagtion support

MAPC is further supporting the workforce board by connecting the young people with entities who are working directly with the target population the navigators seek to serve. These include healthcare institutions, school districts, housing authorities, and the Mass Healthy Aging Council

This is the first youth-focused digital navigators program in the country

Digital Access Plans

Community Survey

Reports (Everett, Chelsea& Revere, Urban Edge)

Presentation and Shared Understanding

Regional Convenings

Share ideas

Discuss funding next steps

Connect on policy

Expanded Data Work

Wi-Fi Intalations MBI

Physical / Capital spend

Housing authory focus and toolkit devlopment

Finalize Website / Reports

Next in March IIJA

Wiring contractor / Fiber run purchase

DLTA Project

MBI partnership on parcel data?

Action / Next

Municipal franchise agreement data

Digital Navigators

Bridge to Broadband

MACP Policy Agenda

BU Spark Data Work

EBB/ACP Program Promotion

Other stuff we have touched

ESH Bridge to Broadband

Other Work

Regional Convenings

Digital Navigator Programs

American Rescue Act (ARPA)

Open Access Networks

Youthworks

Digital Navigators

Education Super Highway

Bridge to Broadband

Apartment WiFi Test Cases

Work Trajectory