Unlocking Digital Equity: What's the Wi-Fi Password?
Abigail Cohen, a former American Connection Corps member who served at MAPC, reflects on her time working to expand digital equity
Sept. 5, 2024 - In the service industry, front-facing employees are identified as neighborhood experts from the first time they clock in. The server who comes to your table seems like they would know what’s fun to do nearby, and the receptionist is a reliable source for directions. I started working at the front desk at a hotel in Martha’s Vineyard the day after I moved to the island. The job description didn’t include knowledge of the best restaurants in town or recommendations for car rentals, but answering guest questions is an inherent part of providing hospitable service. It was easier to be a neighborhood expert when I was standing in front of a desktop; my top recommendations aligned with google reviews and ferry status updates came straight from the Steamship Authority website.
Staff weren’t the only ones relying on the internet. Hotel guests used our network to finish work, make dinner reservations, and check in with people back home. “What’s the Wi-Fi password?” became more of a greeting than a question, and Wi-Fi passwords were an even hotter commodity than our 5 p.m. complimentary cookies. Unfortunately, there was no one-word solution to solve the frequent network outages or poor cell service that came with island life.
My crash course in digital equity began when I joined the Metropolitan Area Planning Council as a Digital Equity Outreach Coordinator after my summer on Martha's Vineyard. In my new role, the internet issues that I’d experienced on the island were given names and the digital divide was introduced as the gap between those who have access to modern technology, digital skills training, and reliable internet service and those who do not. Digital equity is the condition where the digital divide is closed, and people have the information technology and resources they need to participate in our society, democracy, and economy. This all meant that I would still be answering questions about Wi-Fi passwords and the reliability of internet service, but wow, for the greater Boston area.
I was able to work at MAPC through an opportunity provided by the American Connection Corps, a program of Lead for America. The program partners with host sites across the U.S. to establish fellowships where recent college graduates and retirees alike focus on bridging the digital divide in localized contexts. The program fills capacity gaps and brings new life to digital equity initiatives by empowering an increasing number of Americans interested in national service opportunities.
Abby Cohen, pictured far left, at the National Digital Inclusion Alliance conference in February 2024. She's photographer with (from left to right) Miles Miller, NDIA program associate; Anagha Devanarayanan, MAPC digital equity planner; Aaron Schill, NDIA director of research & programs; Will Pfeffer, MAPC civic technologist; Paolo Balboa, NDIA senior programs manager; Stephen Larrick, MAPC digital services manager; and Scott Woods, Ready.net president of public-private partnerships.
In Massachusetts, approximately 96% of households have access to some type of computing device and 93% have access to the internet. The truth behind these percentages is that there are still well over 100,000 households without access to a computing device and almost 200,000 households that do not have access to the internet. The question, “What’s the Wi-Fi Password?” indicates an option that not everyone has. The high cost of internet, safety concerns, and limited infrastructure cause many American families to be “logged off” every day, forced to opt out of not only high-speed internet, but the access to modern life it affords.
MAPC’s Apartment Wi-Fi Program provides funding, project management, and procurement support for the installment of Wi-Fi networks at affordable housing properties and housing authorities, at no cost to residents. The program works towards the statewide initiative to improve access to affordable and reliable internet. Everyone uses the internet to communicate, access information, and manage daily task loads. However, a lack of digital access for underserved communities in Massachusetts can reinforce pre-existing disparities and prevent people from accessing resources that may be lifelines.
Last fall, Camila Perez, a teenage resident of the Revere Housing Authority, spoke at the launch event for the first Apartment Wi-Fi program about how the program will enable her to complete homework, access class materials, and apply for summer internships. For those around Camila, an affordable and reliable internet connection provides access to city services, connection points with family members, and work opportunities. Equity is central in conversations about the digital divide because systematic barriers become more pronounced when communities with the greatest need for digital tools are unable to access them. Digital equity recognizes the power of these tools to bridge existing gaps, empowering individuals to participate in today’s digital world and advocate for their communities.
After the launch event, I went back to the Revere Housing Authority site with Revere City Liaisons to address resident questions about the network and provide Wi-Fi passwords. While in-unit passwords and multilingual information packets had been distributed by the housing authority, my role was to provide context to the letter that came in the mail. Speaking with residents on-site in Revere highlighted the need for individualized support; one pleasantly surprised man shared that the news of the free network meant he no longer had to take a 20-minute walk to Dunkin' to access the internet. Another family appreciated receiving the Wi-Fi password in Spanish from a Revere City Liaison, feeling more comfortable using the network with support from a trusted community member.
When I worked at the hotel, staff included Wi-Fi passwords on the room keys, but guests still called from their rooms and lined up at the front desk to ask about the internet. If I learned anything from that experience, it's that talking to someone directly often provides a faster solution. It’s the difference between information existing and being provided.
Providing information, gaining trust, and making resources accessible is not always an easy process. The Affordable Connectivity Program (ACP), the largest internet affordability initiative in U.S. history, reached only a fraction of income-eligible Americans due to limited awareness and support for the program. I attended ACP information sessions that encouraged groups of people to apply for the government subsidy, and listened to the frustrations of the instructors, also known as digital navigators, who had to come to terms with the end of the program after having spent so much time and energy supporting vulnerable populations through each step of the application process.
Trust can be lost in the messenger when resources are taken away from the people that need them most, and it takes even more time and staff capacity to rebuild trust in organizations, systems, and the tools that they provide. The digital divide may continue to increase, and people working at the ground level will never stop being essential problem-solvers as devices continue to age, internet bills increase, and new digital skills are required to meet rising expectations at both work and home.