| dc.description.abstract | The digital divide has been defined historically as those who have physical access to a computer with internet and those who do not. However, the idea of access is far more complex than availability of the technology. Though Little Rock, Arkansas was concerned about access to reliable internet prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, when schools and businesses shifted to a hybrid operation model, issues of digital equity rose to the forefront of the city’s priorities. In 2022 The Little Rock Mayor’s Office created the Little Rock Digital Equity Plan to respond to the needs of constituents. This 3-part plan included activities related to increasing home internet access, augmenting digital literacy initiatives, and providing resources for home computing devices. This project served to understand how the Mayor’s Office could build upon the existing plan to develop a stakeholder-informed internet access (adoption) strategy to decrease the digital divide affecting underserved and unserved populations and increase digital equity within the larger Little Rock populace. In this mixed-methods project a survey was distributed to residents and interviews were conducted with local governmental and non-governmental entities currently engaged in digital equity work. From these inquiries it was found that 1) There is widespread internet adoption in Little Rock, but home access (devices and internet subscription type) is uneven and driven by education and to a lesser extent income and age 2) Outside of the home, residents identified using the internet most often while on-the-go or at work 3) While most citizens are aware of the comprehensiveness of online activities, there is a gap between awareness and actual usage often driven by age and race 4) The Mayor’s Office is critical in building a common focus on digital equity, however, most of the collaborative efforts are focused on the first and second level of the digital divide and 5) Although there are many local partners working on digital equity efforts, there is a lack of infrastructure to provide visibility and communication across organizations. Based on these findings the following recommendations were offered to the Mayor’s Office to enhance the existing plan: expand on-the-go access by increasing public Wi-Fi hotspots in high-trafficked areas or install on public transit, empower underrepresented communities (e.g. Black, Hispanic, residents without a college education) to partner with the city to address digital divide challenges, and hire a full-time digital equity liaison to provide focus and direction to local organizations committed to digital equity. | |
