Closing the digital gap gains momentum in St. Pete

St. Pete Catalyst

More than half the households in five neighborhoods in south St. Petersburg lacked connections to high-speed broadband internet as recently as 2019.

That puts them at a disadvantage when it comes to education, employment and healthcare, especially during the Covid-19 pandemic, according to a new report from City Health Dashboard.

A coalition of more than two dozen local business, government and non-profit organizations is working to change that. The Digital Inclusion Working Group wants to ensure that everyone has access to online resources, as well as the training, tools and support required to use that access in a meaningful way.

“One of my dreams, and Covid proved it, is that internet is a utility like water, that everybody should have,” said Alison Barlow, executive director of the St. Petersburg Innovation District and co-lead of the Digital Inclusion Working Group. “How we get to that point and make it affordable is a challenge.”