The Benton Institute for Internet & Society has created visions of digital equity principles for States and other who are preparing (or at this point evaluating) digital equity plans…

1. Digital equity is equity and cannot stand outside the broader work of ensuring that everyone has opportunities based on their needs. Without digital equity, communities will continue to face significant barriers in accessing opportunities and vital resources, thereby perpetuating existing inequalities and further widening the digital divide. Digital visions should articulate a commitment to remove barriers and empower the most vulnerable in our communities.
2. Envision a state transformed by digital equity. Successful digital equity efforts result in healthier, more robust communities and more opportunity for all. Digital equity visions should illustrate how ubiquitous, affordable connectivity to reliable, high-speed broadband will benefit communities through increased access to health care, education and job training, economic growth, and civic participation.
3. Devising digital equity visions must be an inclusive, collaborative, and ongoing process led by those most impacted by the digital divide, especially communities that have historically suffered from unequal access to broadband. A top-down approach to digital equity visioning, planning, and implementation will not succeed. Digital equity visions, strategies, and approaches, as well as the specific state digital equity plans, must be the result of collaborative exercises that directly engage communities in the planning process with government, broadband providers, philanthropies, and other organizations. These processes must value and center the perspectives of the people digital equity efforts are intended to serve. Without a seat at the table for community members, there can be no equity. This process is about building relationships and trust, authentically engaging the community and addressing any historical issues.
4. Digital equity planning should include creating and sustaining healthy digital equity ecosystems. Digital inclusion coalitions often include libraries, community-based organizations, local governments, housing authorities, and others in communities across the country. These coalitions organize to cooperatively address equitable access to and use of communication technologies and play a key role in promoting and supporting healthy digital equity ecosystems. Since many of the underconnected face an array of barriers to adoption, relying on ecosystems makes sense to deliver comprehensive, holistic, wraparound services to address complex needs address complex needs.
5. Advance and ensure digital safety, privacy, and well-being. Digital equity visions and efforts must center choice, privacy, safety, and digital health at their core, and must empower participants with the tools and skills needed to navigate risks and avoid harms associated with digital environments.
6. Technology should open opportunities, not create or sustain barriers for people. Digital equity efforts should reduce and remove a full range of barriers through universal design (including multilingual availability) and inclusive access for those with disabilities, which benefits all people and society broadly.
7. Digital equity efforts must bridge short-term impact and long-term, iterative, and sustainable efforts. Closing the digital divide will not be a one-shot effort; it will be a long-term commitment that should adjust to and reflect changing technology, policy, and circumstances and community needs. Sustained digital equity efforts require short- and long-term key performance indicators as well as periodic assessments of progress.
8. Network resilience is crucial for ensuring equitable and reliable digital access, enabling sustained digital equity. Networks in all areas must be able to endure various threats to stability, including climate change, disasters, and similar future system stressors.
   • Ethical data collection, interpretation, and use that is adaptive and transparent, and that employs continuous learning practices as well as best practices for informed consent and limits to overcollection and unnecessary retention of data.
   • Shared power approaches such that historically and systemically marginalized groups can hold government and institutions accountable for equitable creation and implementation of the digital equity plans.
   • Going beyond quantitative measures to consider qualitative data and local data collection illustrated through storytelling.
9. Achieving digital equity requires well-defined metrics for success along with sound measurements and evaluation.
10. Digital equity visioning and planning requires clear accountability mechanisms and transparent reporting that is widely disseminated. Empowering community members in a transparent process will ensure that principles are adhered to and digital equity funds are spent wisely.