Too many Tennesseans lack home internet access, but here's how we can change that | Opinion

Here in the Volunteer State, we are no stranger to the importance of creating and sustaining interconnection in our communities.

And though, today, opportunities for connection come in many forms, we cannot ignore the outsized impact of one significant player: the internet. For those of us who already have a reliable internet connection at home, it may be hard to imagine our daily lives without it.

But there are still Tennesseans – including Latino-owned companies, Latino professionals, and students – who don’t have reliable options for connectivity.

In fact, the White House estimates that at least 17% of Tennesseans do not have internet in their homes.

That means that nearly 1 in 5 people here may be relying on places like public libraries or restaurants with Wi-Fi in order to go to school, apply for jobs, or even file their taxes online.

And because the internet opens a world of knowledge and opportunity, promoting equitable access and adoption of connectivity is deeply interwoven into that mission.

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Digital equity must stay top of mind

At the Tennessee Latin American Chamber of Commerce (TLACC), our core mission is to create value for our members, sponsors and allies through education, advocacy and interconnection.

The federal government has also recognized the need to help more Americans gain access to the internet by allocating a once-in-a-generation amount of funding to do just that – including $350 billion from the American Rescue Plan (ARP) and $43 billion from the Infrastructure Investment & Jobs Act (IIJA).

For decisionmakers and communities across Tennessee working to maximize these federal funds, it’s vital that digital equity stays top of mind.

To best utilize these funds and ensure people currently marginalized by barriers to connectivity are able to benefit, we should look for holistic solutions like those laid out in the National Urban League’s recent white paper.

By honing in on ways to improve targeted outreach, expanded availability and technical assistance, policymakers can craft effective broadband adoption programs, promote digital literacy and close the digital divide once and for all.

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Informed, intentional implementation will help all residents

But success will hinge on our decision makers’ ability to meet people where they are, which means an effective program will also find ways to activate credible community voices, engage the private sector and recruit local bedrocks – like the small Latino businesses TLLAC proudly counts as members.

With cost and access serving as the major barrier in adoption, government subsidies can help to alleviate this burden. But it will require internet companies to contribute in new and innovative ways – especially in how lost-cost offerings are developed and promoted.

We saw the recent national coverage about the Affordable Connectivity Program (ACP) from the White House, and how companies like AT&T are offering free internet service to eligible households when they combine Access from AT&T with ACP benefit. This is the kind of collaboration between the public and private sectors that will make a difference.

Furthermore, funding public access computing centers, beyond public libraries, can also help those currently without internet access to take the first step in closing this divide.

Through the informed and intentional implementation of government funds and programs in place that address broadband adoption and digital literacy, we hope to see more members of the Latino community getting online and contributing to their communities.

By empowering Tennesseans, throughout our community and beyond, we can all seize this opportunity to get connected.

Jessie Garcia Knowles is the executive director of the Tennessee Latin American Chamber of Commerce.

This article originally appeared on Nashville Tennessean: Broadband: How to help Tennesseans who lack home internet access