A Handbook for the Effective Administration of State and Local Digital Equity Programs

When it comes to expanding broadband connectivity, policymakers face two major challenges: 1) ensuring that all US residents have access to high-speed fixed broadband connectivity (“availability”), and 2) ensuring that as many US residents as possible subscribe to fixed broadband (“adoption”). In other words, policymakers are tasked with making sure fixed broadband is both universally available and universally adopted. This handbook offers key principles and best practices that state and local governments should follow in structuring their digital equity plans and establishing and supporting digital equity programs. Available evidence shows that the broadband adoption gap is far greater than the broadband availability gap. While the broadband availability gap is closing, the adoption gap persists. Approximately 5% of US residents lack access to 25/3 Mbps broadband, and approximately 10% of US residents lack access to 100/20 Mbps broadband. By comparison, approximately 23% of US residents do not subscribe to broadband at home. We recommend leveraging broadband funding principles and following actionable best practices to get the most out of every available dollar. Program administrators will need to understand, at a granular level, which locations lack access to broadband, who is not subscribing to home broadband, and why non-adopting communities and individuals remain unconnected. In fact, for maximum success, programmatic interventions will need to be individualized, targeting broadband and technology non-adopters on a one-to-one (or door-to-door) basis. This can be done, and it is being done cost-effectively in communities large and small, urban and rural.