3 minute read
Addressing the Digital Divide
Fund will bolster ongoing efforts to increase accessibility for all
When COVID-19 forced area schools to switch to remote online learning this spring, it became apparent that many students were not being reached because of challenges to online access. This news prompted The Columbus Foundation to move quickly to get the detailed facts about this challenge on the table and into the hands of civic leaders, so solutions could be put into place to narrow this gap as quickly as possible.
International civil infrastructure research and planning company AECOM was selected by the Foundation to assess the landscape of broadband access in Columbus and recommend ways to address those gaps. The firm compiled data from a large array of sources, including Mid-Ohio Regional Planning Commission (MORPC), Columbus City Schools, American Community Survey, census, and private industry data, to ensure the report took into account groundwork research previously laid by regional partners and other resources.
In July, results of that study were released. In regards to the primary question of whether the access gap was driven by poor broadband infrastructure, the answer was a resounding “no.” Even in the lowest income areas of Columbus, there is at least one high-speed internet provider and adequate broadband infrastructure for service.
Instead, the study found that gaps in access were largely due to a variety of barriers across different demographics, including economic challenges, technological literacy, and computers or other technological hardware.
Recommendations for closing the gap ranged from short-term solutions, like subsidies and hot spots, to medium-term solutions, such as the expansion of Wi-Fi access points to include parks, community centers, and pedestrian areas. Long-term, public-private partnerships and new technologies will be necessary components to ensure high-speed internet access to all community members.
In addition to commissioning the report, the Foundation coconvened a group of broadband and education experts to discuss ways in which to prioritize action steps to bridge the digital divide. This group of public and private
The Columbus Foundation’s Central Ohio Digital Divide Fund addresses connectivity challenges impacting our community today.
sector experts is chaired by Patrick Losinski, President and CEO of Columbus Metropolitan Library, which itself has taken valuable steps to increase broadband access to our residents.
“The AECOM broadband study provides foundational data that will guide the development of short- and long-term solutions for the lack of available broadband access in central Ohio. Students without home access are particularly disadvantaged given the new requirements for online education. Broadband is as important in today’s world as electricity, gas and water—it really is the fourth utility and we must find ways for everyone to get the access they need for school, work, and life,” Losinski stated in a July release.
In late July, the Foundation’s Governing Committee approved the establishment of the Central Ohio Digital Divide Fund. The fund, seeded with $500,000, was created as a branch of the Emergency Response Fund that launched in March to address needs related to COVID-19. Support from the Central Ohio Digital Divide Fund will provide opportunities to expand the research regarding online connectivity challenges, and implement ideas included in the report.
This fund also addresses the interests of individual and corporate funders who now have a way to co-invest in meaningful opportunities to provide ways for more students to be reached for online education.
“We have taken a positive first step in answering some important questions through the initial report,” said Douglas F. Kridler, President and CEO of the Foundation, when the fund was announced. “Now, as we move forward as a community, we need to invest in ideas that will help address mid- and long-term solutions for the challenges that are holding some students and families back.”
Anyone can support the Central Ohio Digital Divide Fund through the Foundation’s Giving Store.
