Bridging the Digital Divide

It has been two years since the mayor of Chicago tried to turn the city into a wireless hotspot, where residents rich and poor would be able to access the Internet from anywhere. When the economy went south and Internet companies balked, the city couldn't handle the $18.5 million price tag for the wireless system.

But after a recent city-commissioned study revealed that 40 percent of city residents have limited or no access to the Internet, Mayor Richard M. Daley unveiled a different plan to bridge the "digital divide" in Chicago.

In this new plan to achieve "digital excellence," the Daley administration announced several initiatives that it hopes will expand Internet access, including a "Digital Excellence Action Agenda," which outlines 32 steps to increase digital learning and technology use.

Among other things, the agenda emphasizes the importance of increasing digital literacy and technology in K-12 schools to build a 21st-century workforce, as noted in "Objective 5."

"We want to use technology to expand relevant data," said Hardik Bhatt, chief information officer for the city's Innovation and Technology Department. "It's also talking about teaching the teachers how to be more proficient with technology."

But, Bhatt added, the push for new technology is not limited to schools. Another item on the agenda is for students to spend time in libraries to help adults use computers. 

"Students are also taking part in digital education," he said.

The mayor's initiatives comes on the heels of a study commissioned in 2008 from the University of Illinois-Chicago and the University of Iowa. The results showed some staggering numbers about computer access and technology use in Chicago. For example, the results found that 32 percent of residents don't have Internet access at home. Most of them are low-income families, minorities, seniors and people with disabilities. The study also found that 33 percent of residents use libraries for Internet access.

“If we want to improve the quality of life for everyone, we must work to make sure that every resident and business has access to 21st century technology in their own neighborhoods and homes,” Daley said.

In addition to the "Action Agenda" and study results, the mayor announced two other initiatives that will help in the effort to close the digital divide:

• a “Digital Excellence Demonstration Communities” program that will bring technology resources to four impoverished communities.
• a "TechLocator" on the city's Web site for people to find places that offer free or affordable technology resources and services, such as computers with Internet access, Wi-Fi hotspots and tech training sites. (Residents can also call 311 for this information.)

These initiatives were created to better serve residents that have limited or no access to the Internet. For example, the "digital excellence demonstration communities" initiative will bring technology resources to the impoverished neighborhoods of Englewood, Auburn Gresham, Chicago Lawn and Pilsen.

Local residents will have greater access to computers and also tech training. As testing grounds for technology, these four neighborhoods will demonstrate how the Internet can be a transformative tool. The funding will come from federal stimulus money, Microsoft, donations from the MacArthur Foundation and other organizations, according to the release.

The mayor's "Action Agenda" builds on the report from the Advisory Council on Bridging the Digital Divide that listed the five key drivers to achieve digital excellence as the following:

1. Effective network access that is high‐speed, reliable, affordable and available everywhere.
2. Affordable hardware with capacity to connect to the internet and tap into the full range of its visual and other resources.
3. Suitable software that meets the needs of individuals, families, business, and communities.
4. Digital education that provides the training and technical support for users to become comfortable and proficient.
5. Evolving mindsets that value learning, connecting and communicating through technology, and that recognize the business and other opportunities of expanding internet participation.

(Executive Summary, p. 2, The City that NetWorks: Transforming Society and Economy Through Digital Excellence)

For more information, visit the Digital Excellence Initiative page on the City of Chicago's Web site.