A Guide to Fighting Digital Redlining

Eighteen percent of New York City residents (1.5 million people) do not have access to a broadband connection either at home or on a mobile device. New Yorkers who lack affordable or quality internet based on where they live face a barrier to full economic and social inclusion. In January 2020, the New York City Mayor's Office of the Chief Technology Officer (MOCTO) published the Internet Master Plan (IMP), which aims to make the internet affordable and inclusive for all New York City residents by expanding broadband infrastructure and presents a vision for universal connectivity.

To accompany future phases of the IMP, the team was asked to identify important digital equity stakeholders in NYC who could serve as potential partners in leveraging expanded broadband connectivity. To accomplish this, the team created a framework for identifying digital equity stakeholders composed of four criteria areas and produced a Digital Equity Ecosystem Map — a visualizable dataset of key stakeholders. Through desk research and interviews, the team found that to create digital equity, the City of New York must create healthy Digital Equity Ecosystems, made up of a broad range of stakeholders who all play a role in facilitating digital equity, including those which address broader societal issues. The team made a number of recommendations to ensure the IMP, a commendable move toward ending the digital divide in NYC, includes efforts to ensure all individuals have the information technology capacity and support needed for full participation in our society, democracy, and economy.