Connecting the Unconnected - Digital Inclusion in Cuyahoga County

About the Program

Category: Information Technology (Best in Category)

Year: 2020

Almost 25% of all of Cuyahoga County residents lack any internet access in the home. This impacts the ability of residents to apply for jobs, access government resources, complete schoolwork, and participate in a society that’s becoming more digital every day. The digital divide is not a new problem. However, the COVID-19 response has highlighted how much the divide can impact response in a crisis. Cuyahoga County has been working to address the digital divide by better understanding the problem, repurposing existing resources, and partnering with community organizations. This application will highlight four different digital inclusion initiatives that have been implemented over the last few years. These include: 1) Completion of a study providing detail on the issue and the return on investment to the County to support digital inclusion; 2) A partnership with a community organization, DigitalC, to support a wireless mesh network that provides low-cost, in-home internet access in some of the least connected neighborhoods in the County; 3) Coordination with the City & County Libraries, the Cleveland Foundation, and Huntington Bank to provide hotspots on loan; and 4) Repurposing unused County devices to support local school students with free internet access during the COVID-19 response. Each of these initiatives highlights how much more the County can achieve by partnering with organizations to reduce the digital divide. The digital divide has not gone away in Cuyahoga County, however, these projects have each contributed to increasing access to the internet in the community.