Overcoming the Digital Divide in a Time of Crisis
Philadelphia Mayor Jim Kenney
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The coronavirus outbreak has changed our way of living. Schools have closed and are transitioning to online classes, workers who can are being asked to work remotely, and even athletic and artistic courses have moved to online platforms. To stay connected with friends and family members, we’ve been face-timing and emailing. To remain up to date on local and global news updates, we’ve been refreshing our favorite news websites and checking the city’s resource pages. We’ve been using the internet as a main form of connection, communication and livelihood.
This heightened need has exposed the weak points in our city's internet infrastructure. With only 74 percent of households connected to broadband, Philadelphia is one of the most disconnected big cities in the nation.
Our local officials must act now to close the digital divide by disseminating important information to those online and off, vastly expanding internet options and tech access, and protecting residents from invasive surveillance. During this crisis, it's more important than ever for our communities get safely connected. Furthermore, they city should use this moment to build long-standing digital infrastructure that will ensure that communities will be able to access affordable and reliable internet and technology for years to come.
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Philadelphia Mayor Jim Kenney
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While Philadelphians are ordered to stay home to protect the health of our community, many are left disconnected and cut off from essential information, resources, work and school, and even each other – all due to the persistent digital divide. The COVID-19 pandemic has proven that the technology we need to stay connected is a right, not a privilege.
Workers who have lost their jobs can’t search for employment without the internet. Philadelphia students are being told to put their health and safety at risk by sitting in parking lots to access wifi for remote learning - leave them vulnerable and exposed to bad weather.
Furthermore, communities that previously struggled to get online are at an increased risk of being left behind when city operations return to normal. Without targeted efforts to connect this community to technology and the internet, the underlying factors contributing to displacement, poverty, disparities in health, and unemployment will intensify, potentially leaving these communities behind for the foreseeable future.
If Philadelphia wishes to protect these marginalized communities from the hardships that plague them currently and lie ahead in the future, swift action must be taken now. This means the City must treat technology and broadband access as a human right and take the necessary steps to ensure that all Philadelphians are able to get online safely and have the necessary skills to find the resources they need in this moment of crisis.
The following recommendations aim to elevate strategies for the city to solve ongoing digital inclusion challenges for the most vulnerable communities.
The City of Philadelphia should:
1. Ensure all vital and official communications are accessible to everyone, on and offline.
2. Create an emergency plan to get broadband and technology access to the communities most impacted by the digital divide.
3. Ensure that expanded access to technology does not lead to expanded invasive surveillance of already vulnerable individuals.
4. Create a comprehensive plan to ensure digital access to every resident within 5 years.
Read our full demands here: https://phillytechjustice.org