The City of Philadelphia’s Office of Innovation and Technology has been greenlit to receive a hefty $11.9 million digital equity grant. The funds, courtesy of the National Telecommunications and Innovation Administration (NTIA), are earmarked to help make the city more digitally inclusive.
In words that echo through the city's communal spaces, this money is part of President Biden's sweeping $1.25 billion Digital Equity Competitive Grant Program, set up to push forward a future where every Philadelphian can dig into the tech world. Mayor Cherelle L. Parker stands firm in her conviction to interconnect government and constituents through tech, stating, as per the City of Philadelphia, "The work of the Office of Innovation and Technology’s Digital Equity Unit to collaborate with four government offices and 18 local non-profits and universities is a testament to the power of connection through innovation in the City of Philadelphia," she said. It seems clear that the aim is to transform how residents interact with and benefit from their digital world.
What does it mean for the average Joe and Jane? Imagine thousands connected to free or affordable internet, folks across the city upping their tech game through programs and training, volunteers stepping out of the shadows to lend their digital prowess, and eSports and Digital Access Centers sprouting up like smart-tech mushrooms. This is just the nitty-gritty of what the 11.9 mil is planning to fund.
Each slice of the digital pie will be doled out after the city squares away the budgets and runs through the necessary paperwork. As Melissa A. Scott, Chief Information Officer of the City of Philadelphia, articulated in the city's statement, "This funding supports the need to scale our efforts in combating digital equity among Philadelphia residents." Seems like it's the kind of forward-thinking that'll empower Philadelphians to not just strive, but to thrive in an era that's switching to digital at warp speed.
Digging deeper, the NTIA operates under the U.S. Department of Commerce and advises the President on telecom and information issues. Their main squeeze? Expanding broadband access, pushing the envelope on spectrum usage, bolstering public safety communications, and keeping the internet as a beacon for innovation. On a local level, the Office of Innovation and Technology's Digital Equity Unit zeroes in on shrinking the digital divide in Philly, with their crosshairs on internet accessibility and fostering digital skills among the city's dwellers.
