Did you know that 25% of San Antonio households do not have access to the Internet? The digital divide has long been a focus for your Chamber, and this week, we are thrilled to see progress being made through City Hall. On Tuesday, June 23, the City of San Antonio’s Office of Innovation briefed the City Council Innovation and Technology Committee on their proposed digital inclusion strategy. Two major updates – the Digital Inclusion Survey & Assessment and the “Connected Beyond the Classroom” project – were presented. The survey and assessment were completed prior to COVID-19, and the project is being funded as part of the $270 million dollars in federal funding that the City of San Antonio received through the CARES Act.
The City of San Antonio’s digital inclusion strategy includes four pieces:
- Digital Inclusion Survey & Assessment Report
- Digital Inclusion Task Force
- Digital Inclusion Resources Inventory
- Digital Inclusion Efforts/Actions/Projects
Digital Inclusion Survey & Assessment Report
First briefed in June 2019, the much-anticipated digital inclusion report is the result of a City-led, county-wide survey launched in December 2019. Within the presentation, digital inclusion is defined as the following by the National Digital Inclusion Alliance:
“activities necessary to ensure that all individuals and communities, including the most disadvantaged, have access to and use of Information and Communication Technologies through 5 elements:
- Affordable, robust broadband internet service;
- Internet-enabled devices that meet the needs of the user;
- Access to digital literacy training;
- Quality technical support; and
- Applications and online content designed to enable and encourage self-sufficiency, participation, and collaboration.”
The full 54-page report can be viewed in a PDF format on UTSA’s website by
clicking here. The report includes report cards for each of the 10 City Council districts.
The staff briefing can be downloaded here. Meeting details can be found online
on the City’s website.
Digital Inclusion Task Force
Your Chamber’s Vice President of Cybersecurity and Director of CyberSecurity San Antonio, Amanda Keammerer, represents the cybersecurity community on the City’s Digital Inclusion Task Force. The Task Force was stood up during COVID-19, and it continues to meet every other week.
Digital Inclusion Resources Inventory
The City circulated a survey to gauge where digital inclusion resources exist in the community. In partnership with the Digital Inclusion Alliance of San Antonio, and the Federal Reserve Bank of Dallas, the Digital Inclusion Resources and Needs Tool seeks to identify current stakeholders, map resources and ensure equitable distribution, and identify efforts and needs of entities within San Antonio and Bexar County. One submission per organization is requested.
Click here to fill out the survey.
Digital Inclusion Efforts/Actions/Projects
Last, but definitely not least, is the major Digital Inclusion Project: Connected Beyond the Classroom. The goal is to ensure that K12 students and colleges students in the 50 most vulnerable neighborhoods have access to broadband Internet through their respective school’s network. The City’s vision: “To propose to build a collaborative, citywide, multi-government agency network between the City and other governmental entities to expand fiber capability and student access in San Antonio, helping mitigate digital divide issues in our community, specifically for underserved student populations, K-12 and colleges/universities.” The list of the 50 most vulnerable neighborhoods was determined using four sources: 1) the COSA Equity Atlas Maps; 2) the Digital Inclusion Survey & Assessment; 3) the American Community Survey – Connectivity; and 4) Feedback from Digital Inclusion Stakeholders, including but not limited to the City’s Digital Inclusion Task Force, and the Digital Inclusion Alliance of San Antonio. Additional details can be found in the City’s staff briefing
via this PPT presentation.
Questions about these initiatives? Contact Amanda Keammerer, VP for Cybersecurity, at
akeammerer@sachamber.org , and we will get you connected to the appropriate City staffers.
Now, more than ever, the regional ecosystem continues to collaborate and collectively reimagine what the future workforce and economy of San Antonio looks like. Housed in the San Antonio Chamber of Commerce, CyberSecurity San Antonio is the lead convener and brand manager for the region’s cybersecurity ecosystem. Join the conversation, become a member, and stay engaged in this work. Learn more at
www.sachamber.org/cyber .
