Broadband Adoption & Utilization

Broadband adoption and utilization refers to two related but different concepts involving internet access and usage. Adoption refers to the degree to which individuals and businesses choose to subscribe to or adopt internet services, including availability of services, decision to subscribe to a broadband plan, and other factors such as cost and affordability. In other words, adoption speaks to who has access and then active choice in using broadband.

Broadband utilization references how people use internet services once they have adopted it, including how often they access it and for what purposes (e.g., work, education, health, entertainment), types of activities (streaming, browsing, teleworking, etc.), and speed and bandwidth use (data available and level of consumption). 

Use of broadband-based applications improves lives, typically in terms of economic opportunity, educational access, and health and well-being. E-commerce, precision agriculture, telehealth, eLearning, “smart” infrastructure and government services, and more are key to improving people’s lives and opportunities.

These 21st century resources require access to reliable high-speed internet and a population able to use them effectively.

Extension can play a unique and significant role in educating communities across the country on the challenges and opportunities of the digital age. Digital opportunity work in Extension is a continuation of connecting communities and individuals to the digital world to earn, learn, be well, and live well. Just as Extension played an integral role in helping farmers adopt new technology at the turn of the century with educating Americans on adopting electricity and appliances, such as washing machines, Extension has a role helping Americans adapt to today’s digital world. Then — as now —land-grant university faculty, researchers, and Extension professionals on campuses and in the field are helping to expand access to and opportunities for utilizing digital tools. As Extension professionals, it’s our responsibility and privilege to partner with people, organizations and communities to ensure digital access, affordability, adoption and utilization.

Extension educational programs and resources are increasingly delivered online or in a hybrid format, and outreach is often digitized with websites, online calendars, and social media. Extension professionals currently support digital skills development, such as helping a person  join an online class and access a video workshop or the course materials. Yet with limited resources and staff, these digital participation barriers can lead to community members never hearing about Extension opportunities or giving up and opting out.  

One solution for increasing accessibility of Extension resources is incorporating specific digital skills education opportunities into existing programs.

The figure below shows how digital access and digital skills intersect across all areas of Extension. Expanding Extension services to infuse digital skills education into existing and new programming to meet individual and community needs increases quality of life and community resiliency. 

For example, farmers might need help using a mobile device to utilize an app or cybersecurity training to protect their business. A nutrition program might want to help participants learn how to evaluate online health resources. In demand jobs skills increasingly rely on digital skills. Youth need support learning digital citizenship, which is the responsible and appropriate use of technology. 

The National Digital Education Extension Team (NDEET) helps individuals and organizations navigate the Digital Access and Adoption Ecosystem. Through its national network, NDEET offers tools, training, and support to Extension programs to improve digital skills and connect users with essential resources. Connect with NDEET and explore opportunities to engage in the Digital Access and Adoption Ecosystem to increase the digital readiness of the communities you serve.

Securing funding is essential for Extension to fulfill a vision of expanding digital access, adoption, and utilization efforts. By leveraging funding sources for programming and staffing, Extension can provide critical digital skills training, technology access, and support services to communities. Sustainable funding ensures long-term impact, empowering individuals, businesses and communities to thrive in the digital economy.

Action: Connect with local, regional, state, and national networks and coalitions to tap into resources and opportunities. 

Action: Consider the intersection of digital access, skills, and technology utilization with funding streams through various fields and industries.

Across the country, Extension programs are turning innovative ideas into impactful digital initiatives that meet local needs and drive community progress. Below are examples of efforts to reduce the digital divide that moved from concept to action through a variety of approaches.

Interested in getting in touch with folks engaged in this work? Come network with us at NDEET!

• Advancing digital accessibility - University of Maryland Extension, Marylanders Online partnered with Maryland Accessible Telecommunications and the National Federation of the Blind to offer an accessibility “Talk, Text, and Train” series including assistive technology kits for trainees to address the unique digital challenges faced by individuals who are visually or hearing impaired.
• Digital readiness planning support - Washington State University Extension partnered with the Washington State Broadband Office to support Broadband Action Teams statewide, including developing workbooks to help local communities develop digital readiness plans to ensure everyone has access to reliable, affordable, high-speed Internet, as well as the skills, technologies, and capacity to use it effectively.
• Deploying digital skills educators - To attain their vision that every individual on a farm, in a household, and in business will have the digital skills necessary to earn, learn, be well and live well; North Carolina State Extension Agents incorporate digital education into existing programs on health, nutrition, agriculture, and community development.
• Developing Digital literacy curriculum The Southern Rural Development Center partnered with Alabama A&M University, Fort Valley State University, Mississippi State University, Prairie View A&M University, and University of Arkansas to develop twelve digital skills lessons for Extension educators based on needs identified in a 2023 Digital Skills Extension Survey.
• Equipping small businesses for the digital age - Purdue Extension Community Development’s Digital Ready initiative advances the capacity of small businesses to strengthen their knowledge and application of broadband strategies through interactive workshops and online courses.
• Helping shape their state’s digital future through coalition building - Working with key partners, University of New Hampshire Extension led efforts to develop a state plan to bridge the digital divide, including surveying Granite Staters, compiling a statewide asset inventory, holding webinar series, and participating in a summit to inform and engage.
• Building digital capacity through volunteer training - University of Missouri Extension’s Digital Ambassador program trains volunteers to serve as digital experts for their families and community members to increase internet adoption and digital skills.
• Preparing today’s workforce for the digital economy - Utah State University Extension’s Remote Online Initiative prepares individuals for the adoption of digital technologies for personal, career and business growth through their remote work certificate programs for workers and employers.
• Empowering youth through creativity and tech - Oregon State University Extension’s Victor Villegas uses drones, robots, AI, music, humor and more to reach under-served/under-represented youth and spark their interest in STEM education and career pathways. 

Since technology is integrated into many aspects of today’s society, county Extension professionals can use the NDEET digital skills lessons and other curricula materials to infuse digital skills education into their existing programming.

Want to test the water in a local community? Connect with a county Extension office that developed a digital skills program at Cornell Cooperative Extension. The Orleans Digital Literacy Initiative program was conceived in 2020 with a steering committee of local leaders and a county needs assessment, which led to funding from a local community foundation. After that initial funding, program sustainability is currently achieved through embedding the program into traditional Extension programming and continued collaboration.