Why Digital Equity?
Access to the internet is required to fully participate in modern society; the pandemic laid to rest any debate about whether the internet is a civil right, a utility alongside electricity and water. However, many Los Angeles communities - especially low-income communities and communities of color - do not have access to fast, affordable, and reliable broadband. The gap between those who have the access they need and those who don’t is called the “digital divide.”
What is Digital Equity?
Digital equity is a condition in which all individuals and communities have equitable access to the connectivity, devices, skills, and information needed for full participation in our society, democracy, and economy.
(Definition gratefully borrowed and evolved from NDIA)
Los Angeles County’s Digital Divide is rooted in:
Widespread underinvestment in broadband infrastructure in low-income communities and communities of color, resulting in limited access to quality internet options with high speeds and reasonable costs. This pattern of disinvestment is called “digital redlining.”
A monopoly or duopoly of Internet Service Providers (ISPs) drives a broken market for broadband services, allowing large national corporations to set the terms for quality, speed, price, and location of services. Consumers are disempowered in this broken market.
The policymaking landscape has been monopolized by providers. Communities and local leaders have not had a seat at the legislative or regulatory tables where policy is written and resources are deployed.