Understanding Digital Inclusion

Closing the Digital Divide

Digital Inclusion 101

National Digital Inclusion Alliance (NDIA)

What is Digital Inclusion?

Strategies and Programs to Increase Broadband Adoption and Use in Your Community

This is an excellent time to plan community digital inclusion projects because tens of millions of dollars in federal digital equity funds will flow to Michigan over the next few years.

Are you interested in starting a community digital inclusion program in your area? A community digital inclusion program is a local, grass-roots initiative that seeks to deliver to members of a community — especially for the benefit of those who are struggling, digitally disadvantaged and in particular need of help — services that fit in one or more of the following five categories. Below are some ideas that will help bridge the Digital Divide in your community.

Learn More About Each Strategy

Low-Cost or Affordable Broadband Programs

Promote low-cost broadband programs in your community to ensure everyone can access affordable service. There are federal and provider programs available to eligible residents of Michigan.

Low-Cost or Affordable Broadband Programs

Low-Cost Internet Enabled Devices

Ownership of internet-enabled devices is critical for navigating the internet. To ensure the community has access to low-cost devices, it is essential to identify and/or promote affordable devices locally.

Low-Cost Internet Enabled Devices

Community Anchor Institution Device Loan Programs

Schools and libraries should make internet-enabled devices available for K-12 students, staff and their families who may not own enough devices to meet their household needs.

Community Anchor Institution Device Loan Program

Public Access Computers

Bring awareness and encourage the availability of public access computers in community organizations in your community, including but not limited to libraries, mobile computer labs, workforce development centers, senior centers, afterschool centers and places of worship.

Public Access to Computers

Tech Support for New Users

Provide technical support services for new internet users via organizations that already provide social services to local community members. The goal is to provide on-demand support for internet access, adoption and use activities.

Tech Support for New Users

Digital Skills and Readiness

Establish partnerships in the local community to develop digital skills training programs or advance existing ones that advance digital literacy, digital readiness, digital skills and upskilling to technology jobs, particularly those skills needed by local employers.

Digital Skills and Readiness

Michigan Connected Future Tour

Internet Safety

Ensure that community members have access to training resources about internet safety. Internet safety training tools provide information on how to maximize a person’s awareness of how to use the internet with minimal risk of compromising private information and becoming a victim of cybercrime.

Internet Safety

Meaningful Use of Applications

Create programs that advance meaningful use of applications that advance telehealth, education, remote employment, access to local resources and other applications.

Meaningful Use of Applications

Terms Associated with the Digital Divide

Digital Inclusion
Digital Inclusion encompasses the activities necessary to ensure that individuals and communities have the tools and resources to access and meaningfully use the internet and related technology. Primary elements of advancing digital inclusion include:

Access to reliable and affordable internet service

Access to internet-enabled devices that meet a user’s needs

Availability of basic digital literacy training and technical support

Use of applications and online content designed to enable and encourage self-sufficiency, participation and collaboration

Basic awareness of online safety and related matters
Digital Equity

Digital Equity means the condition in which individuals and communities have the information technology capacity needed for full participation in the society and economy of the United States (Broadband Infrastructure Law - Page 1211).
Digital Literacy
Digital Literacy is the ability to use current technologies, such as smartphones and laptops, and internet access to research, create content and interact with the world. There are five key characteristics of a digitally literate person. The digitally literate person:

Possesses the variety of skills — technical and cognitive — required to find, understand, evaluate, create and communicate digital information in a wide variety of formats

Can use diverse technologies appropriately and effectively to retrieve information, interpret results and judge the quality of that information

Understands the relationship between technology, life-long learning, personal privacy and stewardship of information

Uses these skills and the appropriate technology to communicate and collaborate with peers, colleagues, family and on occasion, the general public

Uses these skills to participate in civic society actively and contribute to a vibrant, informed and engaged community
Equal Access

Equal Access means the equal opportunity to subscribe to an offered service that provides comparable speeds, capacities, latency, and other quality of service metrics in a given area, for comparable terms and conditions (Broadband Infrastructure Law – Pg 817).
Broadband 101
Internet For All - Broadband 101

Table on Contents

Broadband or High-Speed Internet?

Overview of Broadband in USA

NTIA Bipartisan in USA

NTIA Bipartisan Infrastructure Law (BIL) Broadband Funding Programs

The Life of an Internet Packet

Broadband Key Terms

Broadband Connection Types

Broadband Economics

Success Stories

Michigan Connected Future Tour

The Michigan High-Speed Internet Office (MIHI) is traveling all over Michigan to hear from YOU about the barriers keeping you from the internet. All events will be in-person, unless otherwise indicated. Check out the following success videos, podcasts and articles.

ARTICLE: On the road with MIHI: 40 stops, thousands of miles, hundreds of opinions

All about the Michigan High-Speed Internet Tour

The Michigan High-Speed Internet Office (MIHI) recently launched 40-stop broadband listening tour dubbed the "MI Connected Future Tour." In part one of Connected Nation's video coverage, we talked with officials about what they hoped to learn while on the road.

On the road with MIHI: 40 stops thousands of miles, hundreds of opinions

The Michigan High-Speed Internet Office (MIHI) recently launched 40-stop broadband listening tour dubbed the "MI Connected Future Tour." For part two of Connected Nation's video coverage of this ambitious tour, we talk with local stakeholders about the challenges they face.

Why Michigan will likely become one of the most connected states in the Union

Connected Nation goes on the road in the Great Lakes State for the Michigan Connected Future Tour. The 40-stop listening tour is being conducted by the Michigan High-Speed Internet Office (MIHI). The above video examines how state officials plan to use input gathered in the tour, the action local leaders who want impactful change are taking, AND how it will all come together to likely make Michigan one of the most connected states in the Union.

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Understanding Digital Inclusion

Understanding Digital Inclusion

Closing the Digital Divide

Digital Inclusion 101

What is Digital Inclusion?

Strategies and Programs to Increase Broadband Adoption and Use in Your Community

Learn More About Each Strategy

Low-Cost or Affordable Broadband Programs

Low-Cost Internet Enabled Devices

Community Anchor Institution Device Loan Programs

Public Access Computers

Tech Support for New Users

Digital Skills and Readiness

Michigan Connected Future Tour

Internet Safety

Meaningful Use of Applications

Terms Associated with the Digital Divide

Success Stories

Michigan Connected Future Tour

All about the Michigan High-Speed Internet Tour

On the road with MIHI: 40 stops thousands of miles, hundreds of opinions

Why Michigan will likely become one of the most connected states in the Union

PODCAST EPISODES: On the road with MIHI -