Today I attended an interesting Digital Inclusion Leadership Summit in St Paul. They are working to create a plan for digital equity in Ramsey County called the Digital Blueprint. (It was funded by ARPA.) Consultants (SDK Communications) have spent the last eight months talking to stakeholders about their needs, plans and appetites to improve local digital equity.

The group today heard from the consultants. Below are (some of) their PowerPoint slides. A light was shining on equity issues when you see that less than 50 percent of those surveyed felt they had enough broadband to get things done, the depths of concern for security and privacy and the comfort level in using technology.

Then in small groups, we discussed certain aspects of the plan in greater depth. It was interesting to hear from a wide swath of stakeholders. I was at a table with someone from a school, from a community-based organization and a nonprofit device provider.