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Miami-Dade County has launched a new Broadband and Digital Equity Plan which outlines a six-point approach to close the digital divide and ensure all Miami-Dade County residents have equal access to high-speed internet. The launch took place during Miami-Dade County’s first-ever Digital Equity Tech Summit that hosted over 200 participants.
With this plan, created in partnership with the Miami Foundation and Miami Connected, Miami-Dade County becomes one of the first local communities in the United States to respond to the Biden Administration’s “Internet for All” initiative — positioning the county to benefit from a historic level of federal investment in broadband infrastructure.
“High-speed internet should be as commonplace as water and electricity,” said Miami-Dade Mayor Daniella Levine Cava. “Broadband access isn’t a luxury, but a necessity that opens doors to opportunity and facilitates inclusion in the new economy by enabling access to education, jobs, and services that can meaningfully improve our residents’ lives. By launching this plan now, we are ahead of the curve and positioning our county as a national leader on digital equity.”
According to data collected by Miami-Dade County from the Federal Communications Commission and the county’s Geospatial Information System, only 36 percent of households have access to top-quality, fiber-based broadband, and more than 455,000 households do not have access to competitive pricing and multiple internet service providers.
“What will it take for every single person in Miami to have access to high quality internet? Bold, unified leadership, and a clear plan,” said Rebecca Fishman Lipsey, president and CEO of The Miami Foundation. “When we stood together three years ago and launched Miami Connected, we made a bold promise to make Miami the most technologically inclusive region in the nation. This Broadband and Digital Equity Plan is a massive step toward fulfilling that promise, and we’re proud to stand together to make this plan a reality.”
To advance digital equity, the Broadband & Digital Equity Plan commits to accomplish the following six steps by 2026:
• Identify opportunities, support partners, and apply for federal and state funding to invest in broadband infrastructure that connects Miami-Dade’s unserved and underserved communities.
• Partner with Internet Service Providers (ISPs) and community organizations by removing roadblocks, leveraging the county’s data, and creating public-private partnerships aimed at closing the digital divide.
• Reduce red tape and streamline processes to fast-track infrastructure improvements.
• Support increased competition and promote low-cost access by leveraging the County and partner resources to expand the number of residents who subscribe to broadband internet.
• Engage with local ISP providers to ensure we build a marketplace that supports the communities most in need.
• Tap into Miami-Dade’s local workforce to build out new broadband infrastructure keeping job growth and opportunity local.
To read the full plan, visit https://www.miamidade.gov/global/initiatives/broadbandplan/home.page.
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