Mapping Our Path to Digital Equity: Lessons from The Phantom Tollbooth

Over the last few weeks, my son and I read The Phantom Tollbooth each night before bed. Originally published in 1961, the book has many lessons that will be on point for generations to come. Anyone who is the parent of a 5th grader is familiar with the struggle to get them out of bed in the morning to go to school and then to do homework when they get home. Because, to quote the main character, Milo, learning is “the greatest waste of time.” And then, my son’s favorite statement, “why does any of this even matter?” in reference to basically all schoolwork – math, writing, social studies, the list goes on, with the exceptions, of course, of lunch and recess.

So, why do I bring this up here? Well, at the end of the book, there is a fabulous exchange between Milo and the Princesses Rhyme and Reason that presents an invaluable lesson for all the adults out there.

Milo has finally, after many adventures, found the Princesses Rhyme and Reason, whom he has been sent to rescue. He laments how long it took him to get to them, and he says, “..[W]e would have been here much sooner if I hadn’t made so many mistakes.” In response, Rhyme and Reason explain:

“You must never feel badly about making mistakes as long as you take the trouble to learn from them…but it’s not just learning things that’s important. It’s learning what to do with what you learn and learning why you learn things at all that matters.”

This is the crux of the book, and it is a reminder that I have needed myself, particularly as I look back over the lessons, missteps, and progress of the past year and a half. While the list of things we have had the opportunity to learn from the public health emergency – COVID-19 – is longer than it ought to be, there is one lesson that I want to focus on in this article: that is the importance of Digital Equity. Our experience of the pandemic and social distancing has demonstrated how critical reliable digital access is to all aspects of life. The internet is our “turnpike tollbooth,” and devices are the vehicles we use to travel to our destination.

The pandemic brought into sharp relief the digital divide that bifurcates our communities. Overnight a child’s digital access was a determining factor in their ability to continue schooling and keep pace with their classmates. And it isn’t just in education. According to the National Digital Inclusion Association (NDIA), North Carolina has at least 81,488 people currently unemployed who are not able to pursue an estimated 248,332 open jobs because they lack the basic foundational digital skills required. Lack of digital access impacts all aspects of life: education, employment, health, participation in our democracy, and on and on.

What is the Digital Divide?

Let’s take a step back and define what the digital divide is. This is certainly not a new concept, but it has evolved. Many of us understand that the digital divide includes a lack of access to affordable internet services and the devices used to access the internet. This often occurs because of socioeconomic reasons, such as affordability of services or devices, or because where the person lives does not have easy access (or any access). But the digital divide also includes those that lack the knowledge and skills needed to effectively use the devices or the internet.

And then, lastly, it’s the knowledge and skills to effectively navigate the internet to find and use the information there. Here I will refer to the proverbial grandparents who have an iPad and wifi in the house but cannot for the life of them figure out how to use email or log on to their telehealth visit.

What (exactly) is Digital Equity?

Now that we understand the “Digital Divide,” – the question is, what is Digital Equity? I like the definition provided by the NDIA: 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, and access to essential services.

How do we move beyond the Digital Divide to Digital Equity?

While the answer to this question is simple, it certainly isn’t easy. The answer is Digital Inclusion. (See, simple.)

NDIA defines Digital Inclusion as the activities necessary to achieve Digital Equity. They identify five elements:

1. Affordable, robust broadband internet service,
2. Internet-enable devices that meet the needs of the user,
3. Access to digital literacy training,
4. Quality technical support, and
5. Applications and online content designed to enable and encourage self-sufficiency, participation, and collaboration.

Not one of these elements is easy to achieve in the widespread way needed to achieve Digital Equity. It takes significant investment both of time, money, and other resources. It takes coordination, collaboration, and cooperation among many different stakeholders. And, without question, it takes changes in local, state, and federal policy (and investment).

Now, the Good News.

The good news is that despite the arduous journey to get us to this point, in which we had a stint in the Mountains of Ignorance, wondered around the Foothills of Confusion, and jumped a few times to the Island of Conclusions, we have now swum through the Sea of Knowledge, arriving in the Kingdom of Wisdom, and we know what we didn’t know before – and that is that ensuring that all people have affordable, reliable digital access is a necessary precursor to participation in our modern, digital society. The question now is what we do with this knowledge.

If you’d like to visualize this journey, see the map below (illustrated by the great Jules Feiffer).

Now, let’s translate this map to where we are at here in North Carolina, both to orient ourselves and plot our next steps. Did you know that in North Carolina, we have a State Broadband Plan? The NC Department of Information Technology Broadband Infrastructure Office is responsible for its creation and implementation. Building on these efforts, in July, Governor Cooper announced the creation of the Office of Digital Equity and Literacy, which has the awesome responsibility of, in conjunction with other Offices and organizations of implementing Governor Cooper’s $1.2 billion plan to drive toward Digital Equity. While we still have a way to go to achieving Digital Equity, we are making progress.

We have long had programs in place at the federal level, such as the Lifeline Program for Low-Income Consumers. Through this program, consumers that qualify can receive financial assistance with mobile phone service and broadband service. This program is a foundational component of the social safety net. The Emergency Broadband Benefit Program is a short-term program available to help individuals and families affected by the COVID-19 pandemic with paying for broadband service and providing discounts on devices such as laptops, desktops, and tablets. We’ve also seen significant initiatives such as the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) Connected Care Pilot and the $7.17 billion Emergency Connectivity Fund for schools and libraries.

What More Can be Done?

Now, here there be dragons. And demons. We must beware the demons Threadbare Excuse, Horrible Hopping Hindsight, Gross Exaggeration, and Insincerity, as Milo was warned by the Mathmagician as he undertook the final leg of his journey.

As is always the case when addressing an identified problem, the easy things are done first, often influenced by the Triple Demons of Compromise. As a result, we have much more that we must do, and the path ahead won’t be smooth.

State and federal investment is without question a critical requirement to achieving Digital Equity, but communities must take steps to put those investments to good use. We need more people, organizations – I’m talking to you Facebook, Alphabet, Amazon, Apple, and other Big Tech companies – and government entities to actively engage in and carry out Digital Inclusion activities. There are numerous resources available to help communities on their journey. For example, the State of North Carolina has published a Digital Inclusion Plan Template and Guide. The NDIA has a Digital Inclusion Startup Manual that is a wonderful resource.

Now, let’s talk about policy changes. This list is long, but I’ll keep it to three.

1. Improve the Lifeline program, both in terms of increased funding and improved service quality. The program also should support the purchase of internet-enabled devices. Additionally, as recommended by the Government Accountability Office, the FCC needs to improve the application process, provide supports such as application assistance, and significantly increase consumer awareness and engagement in the program.
2. Remove barriers to municipal broadband networks, which are high-speed internet services built and run by counties and cities, usually public-private partnerships. North Carolina has been unable to enact the FIBER NC Act, largely due to opposition from telecommunications companies.
3. Establish and invest in more digital literacy programs, with a focus on creating lifelong digital proficiency and self-sufficiency.

I did warn you: dragons and demons. But, as King Azas told Milo after he had successfully completed his impossible task, “as you’ve discovered, so many things are possible just as long as you don’t know they’re impossible.” Let no one tell you that Digital Equity is impossible.