Leveraging Community Engagement and Trust to Address the Digital Divide in Indiana
After the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA) was signed into law in 2021, two opportunities became available to further address the digital divide in Indiana: The Broadband Equity, Adoption, and Deployment (BEAD) and the Digital Equity (DE) programs.
Addressing the digital divide is very important to improve the quality of life of any community. The digital divide is the number one threat to community and economic development today.
To ensure the state planned accordingly to address this issue, Purdue University, as the state’s land-grant institution, jumped into action to do its part in two ways.
Digital Equity
The Purdue Center for Regional Development partnered with the Indiana Broadband Office and multiple state agencies and organizations to develop the state’s first ever Digital Equity Plan. The process took place in four phases over 13 months: taskforce formation, data gathering & insights, data application & community engagement, and refining & adopting the plan. This plan will help allocate the roughly $15 million the state will receive in digital equity capacity grants.
“The Indiana Broadband Office is excited about its partnership with Purdue University in developing the state’s Digital Equity Plan. This engagement helped build the foundation for the Broadband Equity, Access, and Deployment (BEAD) and Digital Equity programs which provide significant funding to connect Hoosiers that lack internet access or the digital skills to use it.”
Stephen Cox
Chief Broadband Officer
Indiana Broadband Office
Purdue Broadband Team (PBT)
Launched by the Office of Engagement under the President’s Office, the Purdue Broadband Team or PBT consisted of Purdue Extension (including 4-Hers), Purdue students, and Purdue alumni who were tasked to increase awareness on key resources like the broadband map and speed test platform to improve broadband data across the state as well as a state broadband program—Indiana Connectivity Program.
Collectively these resources allowed the state to validate broadband data—this data will be used to identify eligible areas to invest the $868 million the state will be receiving—and increase applications to the Indiana Connectivity Program.
