City to share plans for closing Lexington's digital divide

On Tuesday, March 24, during a meeting of the Budget, Finance and Economic Development Committee, Urban County Councilmembers will review a draft of Lexington's Digital Accessibility Plan.

As a presentation at the meeting will show, high-speed internet is technically available throughout most of Fayette County. The main barriers for residents include the cost of at-home internet and devices, along with digital skills deficits among certain groups, such as veterans and people with disabilities.

The state of Lexington's digital divide

The plan's central initiative is Get Connected Lex, led by Lexington's Digital Accessibility Workgroup. Workgroup contributors include local government officials and staff, businesses and nonprofits, educational institutions, local internet service providers and community members, according to meeting materials.

To assess the state of Lexington's digital divide, the group hosted a Digital Accessibility Expo to raise awareness and launch a citywide survey, inviting residents to share their experiences.

The group also sought input from stakeholders, such as local libraries, workforce partners, nonprofits, schools, and internet service providers. In addition, the workgroup looked at similar cities that have tried to address their own digital disparities.

The survey it conducted reached 219 Lexington residents across all 12 Urban County Council districts. While meeting materials note the survey's results were self-reported and unscientific, the survey found that residents experience barriers to access, device ownership and digital skills gaps.

The top takeaway is that – while high-speed internet is available at 99% of serviceable locations in Fayette County – only 64% of survey participants said they had access to reliable and affordable high-speed internet.

Other key survey findings include:

• 96% of survey respondents cited the cost of broadband as a barrier. 54% of households with incomes below $25,000 have internet access at home. Compare that to 82% households earning $100,000 or more.
• 78% of respondents cited the cost of internet-capable devices as a barrier to access.
• 58% of respondents said they were open to digital skills training. Most were interested in learning how to protect their privacy and avoid scams online. Adults age 65 and older, incarcerated people, veterans, non-English speakers, low-income people, and people with disabilities experience the greatest digital skills gaps.

How can Lexington address its digital divide?

The draft Digital Accessibility Plan sets out several broad goals, such as expanding fiber optic broadband throughout Fayette County, financial assistance for qualifying households, device re-use and donation pipelines, and digital skills education.

It proposes working with community partners such as the Lexington Public Library, local businesses, and internet service providers themselves to promote low-cost internet plan options, donate used devices, and develop programming to fill digital skills gaps, among other strategies.