Miami-Dade's Digital Divide

The digital divide thrives in the most under-resourced communities due to digital injustices. Some students do not have internet access at home or even a computer, which can restrict them from completing tasks such as homework, studying, or even attending classes. By the time a home is classified as being on the wrong side of the digital divide, its residents have already missed out on the advantages of a digital economy and suffered socioeconomic repercussions that go beyond the boundaries of the home.

Miami-Dade County ranks third in Florida, with 20.5% of households without internet subscriptions. This forces innumerable students to rely only on public computers or mobile devices to stay afloat in a world that is rapidly becoming more digital. There have been attempts to temporarily bridge the digital divide between students, such as with the  Miami Connected Digital Equity Grants . These grants are a great step in the right direction. But in order to permanently close the gap, the local government needs to go hand in hand with such initiatives and create policies to support our community.

To permanently reduce the digital divide in Miami-Dade County, local innovative policy solutions are required. The demand for action from the private sector, education organizations, and the nonprofit sector on the digital divide has grown significantly during the pandemic. But this is not a permanent solution to closing the digital divide.

As far as our research has shown, there are no active programs in place in Florida. The  Affordable Connectivity Program  (ACP) is the only help being offered through the federal government. Taking a step toward a local program or policy is crucial for our students to get the help they so desperately need. 

The problem of the digital divide is not only a statistic but an issue that affects real people. People who are like you and me. People who are a part of our communities.

The inability of children and young people to connect online is caused by a lack of connectivity. It makes it impossible for them to thrive in the modern economy. It separates them from the rest of the world. And when schools close, as millions had already witnessed as a result of COVID-19, students miss out on an education. To put it frankly, the next generation's future is being jeopardized by a lack of internet access. Making it difficult for students who are lacking access to the internet to communicate with professors or classmates, do independent research, or receive online homework assistance.

According to the  Census tract for 2016-2020,  a large percentage of Miami-Dade County lies under the "Worst Quartile" concerning the percentage of households with an internet subscription. It should be among our greatest objectives to secure reliable internet access for our citizens, but particularly for our students, in order to ensure a prosperous future.

• Florida Statutes  §§ 125.421 .  166.047 ,  196.012,   199.183  and  212.08 ;  § 350.81 

Florida state laws impose “ad valorem” taxes on municipal broadband networks, but do not impose such taxes on other public utilities or services sold to the public. The state laws generally subject municipalities to restrictions on capital-intensive initiatives that make broadband projects difficult to begin. The statutes require municipalities to hold at least two public hearings, during which local officials must offer a roadmap to profitability within four years — making nearly any citywide municipal broadband proposal unfeasible.

Despite these harsh rules, three Florida counties have been able to create and maintain a broadband network for their populations. These counties are  Ocala ,  Lakeland , and  Bartow . These examples show that a government-controlled internet service is feasible even under the current laws.

Here are some of the things they have done:

There is some hope that these rules might be able to change in the near future due to Governor DeSantis being very supportive of closing the Digital Divide and building infrastructure to do so. He approved 400 Million dollars for the Broadband Opportunity Program which is meant to be used to provide high-speed internet to unserved parts of the state.

There have also been initiatives to provide internet services in other states that could potentially be replicated in Miami-Dade County.

Through our extensive research, we learned about the plans other states have in place in efforts to close the digital divide. By looking at other plans, we can create one tailored to our areas in need. This gives our community hope that there are possibilities to bridge the divide.

While these programs might seem too big to undertake in Miami-Dade, smaller scaled versions of these programs can easily be envisioned in the popular parts of the county. There are many businesses located in Miami that would happily sponsor kiosks like the ones described in LinkNYC that could be placed in Wynwood or Brickell. Miami-Dade also has a population that rivals entire states so framing legislation after bills that are meant to address a entire state is not a completely out-of-the-box idea. These programs that could potentially have support from the Govenor of Florida could be the first step into creating a Miami-Dade that provides internet access for all of its populace.

In order to build a better Miami it is of utmost importance to listen to our community. As Florida International University students, we partnered up with Catalyst Miami to give a voice to fellow community members on the topic of  Miami’s wealth gap , with a focus on the digital divide. The input of Lesline Mckenzie, Lynn Williams, and Janielle Murphy is inspiring and eye-opening, as they speak on how the digital divide has affected them personally and how it has affected their communities.

Lynn Williams expressed her feelings about finding help through  Catalyst Miami , who aided her in obtaining internet and computer access. If it was not for such resources, she would have not had the ability to become a student at Miami-Dade College.