What is Digital Equity?
There are four components to achieving digital equity: internet, devices, applications and digital skills. These components are the centerpiece of Louisiana's digital equity plan, which the federal government has given the state nearly $1 million to complete this plan through the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law.
ConnectLA is working to make digital equity a reality in Louisiana. From broadband expansion to digital literacy trainings to job creation, our digital equity plan seeks to close the gap in access that exists in this state and make Louisiana a model of workforce engagement for the rest of the country.
According to Education Superhighway, Louisiana currently ranks first in the country in number of households enrolled in the federal government's Affordable Connectivity Program per capita. The National Digital Inclusion Alliance's Digital Equity Index also ranks Louisiana sixth in the country in how well our state government and local governments are addressing digital equity.
Success Stories
Digital Equity Resources
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The Louisiana Digital Equity Map, powered by Microsoft, assists state agencies in identifying areas with the largest gaps in service. Using index value, this tool can give policymakers the ability to direct funding and investments to those in the communities most affected by the digital divide. Through the Airband Initiative, Microsoft seeks to "make affordable broadband access a reality for unserved and underserved communities around the world."
NTIA Internet For All: Workforce Planning Guide
The NTIA Workforce Planning Guide is a resource for eligible states and providers that are developing their submissions for the federal government's Broadband Equity, Access, and Deployment (BEAD) program and may also be applicable as providers and states develop their digital equity plans and workforce plans.
Seizing the Moment: Scaling Up Broadband Strategies
The goal of “Seizing the Moment” is to help state leaders develop effective plans to scale up their fixed broadband strategies to meet the current moment. It seeks to provide a roadmap for building up state broadband strategies by framing key planning choices, highlighting practical tradeoffs and timing questions and identifying crosscutting issues.
NDIA State Digital Equity Plan Toolkit
The Digital Equity Act was a once-in-a-generation opportunity to design systems that will enable true digital equity. The federal government outlined specific items for states to include in their digital equity plans; however, they did not provide guidance on how to compile and organize these plans. This NDIA State Digital Equity Plan Toolkit provides this guidance.
2022 Broadband Solutions Summit - Stakeholder Engagement
As we discover new ways to get others involved in the broadband process, we want to highlight an important discussion from our Broadband Solutions Summit in August.
In the panel, Lauren Chauvin, executive director of the Louisiana Internet and Television Association, leads a discussion on how providers, residents and government officials can work together to create more engagement throughout the broadband deployment process.
2022 Louisiana Broadband Solutions Summit - Digital Equity Launch
Rick Gallot, president of Grambling University, Dr. Susannah Craig, deputy commissioner for strategic planning and student success at the Louisiana Board of Regents, Dr. Anna Osland of the Blanco Public Policy Center and Mia Ruffin of the Capital Region Planning Commission joined us for this panel from our Broadband Solutions Summit in August. They discussed the nearly $1 million Louisiana is receiving to create a digital equity plan and how education and government are working together to research how best to disperse these funds