The Benton Institute for Broadband and Society looks at the human infrastructure of broadband. In other words, the people who help other people use technology. It’s a good reminder that technology itself always necessary but often not sufficient to improving digital equity. It will be interesting to see what comes through this perspective…
The human infrastructure of broadband helps people—including, but not limited to, traditionally marginalized groups—access and make meaningful use of broadband. Whether it is a librarian helping a veteran fill out an online benefits application at a public computer, a digital navigator assisting a senior citizen in signing up for affordable home broadband, a digital skills trainer teaching social media privacy in Spanish, or a device refurbisher helping students find devices to use at home—all comprise the human infrastructure of broadband.
The term “infrastructure” underlines that the work of these librarians, digital navigators, digital skills trainers, device refurbishers, and others is foundational. The work of connecting people to devices, broadband service, and skills is the undergirding that will allow a digital society and economy to flourish and benefit us all.
The Human Infrastructure of Broadband At Work: The Three Cs
As part of our research, we analyzed the goals of the organizations that formed the human infrastructure of broadband. We found projects that either are centrally concerned with digital equity in and of itself or focus on digital equity because it is instrumental to achieving broader social goals. The two program models, core and complementary, categorize projects according to this difference in mission. We also found programs that brought together multiple organizations. The coalition program model may not provide direct services but helps coordinate work, pool resources, and leverage collective capacity, particularly to advocate for their members. The organizations that make up a coalition may be classified as core or complementary, but assembled together, they focus on digital equity. Delineating these models and their subtypes clarifies their comparative advantages and limitations and points to avenues for garnering resources and support.
To provide concrete examples of core, complementary, and coalition models, we are releasing a series of organizational profiles that delve deeply into how these program models and their subtypes function, the problems they are best suited to solve or populations they are best suited to reach, and the support they need to succeed. The profiles are diverse in terms of sources of funding, geographic location, and tenure in the digital inclusion field.