Digital Equity Plan for the City of Philadelphia

This Digital Equity Plan for the City of Philadelphia represents the City’s commitment to addressing the inequities that contribute to the digital divide including issues of affordability, digital literacy and support, housing insecurity, and language, cultural, and racial barriers. The Plan builds upon a strong foundation of work established by the City’s Office of Innovation and Technology (OIT). For over a decade, OIT has led intergovernmental teams to tackle the digital divide. First, OIT developed the KEYSPOT network of public computing centers, followed by establishing the Digital Literacy Alliance and coordinating the release of over $1,000,000 in grants to community-based organizations. At the onset of the pandemic, OIT collaborated closely with the Mayor’s Office of Education and philanthropic and corporate partners to develop PHLConnectED, the City’s program that has provided over 18,000 free internet connections to pre-K through 12 grade households. All these efforts have had an impact, and the digital divide is gradually closing. In 2021, the City commissioned an assessment of household internet use and found that 84 percent of households now have wired, in-home broadband - up from 70 percent in 2019.