DEPARTMENT: Office of Innovation and Information and Technology Services Department
DEPARTMENT HEAD: Brian Dillard, CIO and Craig Hopkins, CIO
COUNCIL DISTRICTS IMPACTED: Citywide
SUBJECT: Digital Inclusion
SUMMARY:
The purpose of this item is to provide the Innovation and Technology Committee with an overview of the City of San Antonio’s digital inclusion efforts.
BACKGROUND:
According to the 2014 to 2018, American Community Survey 5-year estimates, 23.4% of San Antonio households don’t have access to broadband internet at home; which creates the digital divide between those residents who have the skills and internet access to fully embrace broadband, and those who do not making it clear that additional action to tackle the digital divide was needed. In 2018, City Council took that action by approving the formation of a Smart Cities team within the Office of Innovation; that had as a main area of focus to work in collaboration with the Information & Technology Services Department of the City, the SmartSA partnership, the Digital Inclusion Alliance of San Antonio, and other key stakeholders to improve access to services for the community.
The Digital Equity Action Plan began Phase 1 in 2019, when the City of San Antonio led by the Office of Innovation, partnered with Bexar County and UTSA to develop and deploy the Digital Inclusion Survey and Assessment (DISA).
Digital Inclusion Survey and Assessment (DISA Phase 1)
The digital inclusion survey was implemented as a SA SpeakUp campaign that made the survey available from December 2nd to February 8th. The responses were aggregated by UTSA and used to create the Digital Inclusion Assessment. The findings will be shared through these three key elements of the digital divide: 1) connectivity, which includes access to the internet and access to digital devices; 2) digital competency (or digital literacy skills); and 3) digital outcomes, which contains internet usage and value. The final DISA report will continue to inform the collaborative and multi-faceted Digital Inclusion Plan (Phase Two).
Collaborative Digital Inclusion Plan (Phase Two)
COVID-19 has accelerated the need to take action now. The Connected Beyond the Classroom initiative within the Digital Inclusion Pillar of the COVID-19 Community Recovery and Resiliency Plan is a first, but major component of the overall collaborative digital inclusion plan to help facilitate distance learning for K-16 students in high priority neighborhoods. A briefing on the initiative will be provided.
ISSUE:
Briefing on the City of San Antonio’s Digital Inclusion Survey and Assessment (DISA) as well as the Digital Inclusion Pillar of the Recovery and Resiliency Plan.
ALTERNATIVES:
This item is for briefing purposes only.
FISCAL IMPACT:
This item is for briefing purposes only.
RECOMMENDATIONS:
This item is for briefing purposes only.