The Purdue Center for Regional Development, in partnership with the Indiana Broadband Office, has developed the state’s first-ever Digital Equity Plan.
The five-year plan will serve as a road map to increase Hoosier access to high-speed internet. It has a 30-day public comment period for feedback before it is implemented.
According to the report, 24.7 percent of Indiana households do not have home internet access or rely solely on mobile internet.
Roberto Gallardo, vice president for engagement at Purdue, said the team was most surprised by data regarding who has home paid internet access.
“We found that a lower share of whites subscribed to paid home internet over the past 12 months compared to minorities, we were not expecting that finding,” he said. “The difference is not statistically significant, but the fact that it reversed was a finding that we were not expecting.”
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Another noteworthy finding: the top reason for not paying for home internet over the last year was due to the cost of desktops and laptops, followed closely by the cost of the service itself. Other reasons listed include smartphones already doing everything users need for daily access, being unable to get it installed in their areas of the state, or simply not needing to use the internet every day.
Gallardo said this plan parallels the Broadband Equity Access and Deployment Program (BEAD), the $42.45 billion US Department of Commerce infrastructure plan bringing internet to rural areas.
“The BEAD plan focuses primarily on infrastructure, how to get it to high-cost areas, unserved areas, underserved areas, etcetera,” he said. “While digital equity looks at specific groups — which are called covered populations — to ensure that they have access to broadband devices and skills to make sure they can participate in the online economy.”
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The plan includes just over 80 objectives to complete the plan’s main goals, such as providing residents with connectivity and devices that are affordable, accessible, reliable, and equitable, and supporting new and existing digital ecosystems for local prosperity.
After the public comment period ends, the federal government will publish guidelines for funds that can be used to implement the plan.
