Digital Covid-19 Vaccine Records

Every state in the US maintains an immunization registry where every COVID-19 vaccination is required by federal law to be reported. Yet, there is no standard way for these records to be shared with vaccinated individuals. States should work together to create a common approach to vaccination verification. Individuals accustomed to presenting their DCVR in one community can do so in any other location where DCVRs are commonly accepted. An effective verification mechanism provides a stronger incentive for vaccination, resulting in reduced hospitalizations and deaths.

Read More

Digital Navigators

Access to affordable, reliable, high-speed broadband is essential to full participation in modern American society. But the United States faces a persistent and growing “digital divide” — a gulf between those with access to and ability to use affordable, reliable broadband and those without. This persistent and growing divide is a barrier to equitable access to critical services and economic prosperity, with a disproportionate impact on low-income Americans, communities of color, and rural communities.

Read More

Connecting Low-Income Americans to Broadband

Today, approximately 29 million of the 123 million households in the United States do not have high-speed broadband. Despite the availability of affordable broadband plans for the last ten years, 20 million of these households, representing over 55 million people, are offline because they cannot afford an available Internet connection. Many of those unconnected are eligible for federal subsidy programs that are already in place, but either do not know about them or do not know how to sign up. Furthermore, in America’s most unconnected communities, where 38% of households do not have home broadband, 20-25% of these residents without broadband live in low-income apartment buildings. By installing infrastructure for free Wi-Fi into these buildings, we can make a significant impact on closing the digital divide.

Read More