Digital Equity Partner: City of Boston

The Need: Digital Equity in Massachusetts’ Most Diverse City

Boston is often seen as a resource-rich city. But, for many residents, digital inequity remains a daily reality. Affordability, access to reliable devices and limited digital skills continue to limit participation in education, employment, healthcare and civic life.

City data and national surveys show that tens of thousands of Boston households lack a laptop or consistent broadband access, even as more services move online. Residents in neighborhoods such as Dorchester, East Boston, Hyde Park, Mattapan and Roxbury experience disproportionate impacts tied to income, language access, age and disabilities.

The City of Boston entered the Digital Equity Partnerships program to distribute resources, build capacity for local organizations and remove barriers.

The Approach: Stewardship, Coordination and Targeted Investment

With Digital Equity Partnerships funding, the city advanced a three-pronged strategy centered on internet access, device availability and digital skills, while strengthening the ecosystem of organizations closest to residents.

Rather than delivering all services directly, the city focused on what municipal government does best. Boston coordinated across departments, invested in community-based organizations through grantmaking and leveraged public spaces such as libraries, public housing and transit hubs to deliver digital access. This approach allowed them to stretch limited resources across multiple strategies and meet immediate needs while building longer-term capacity.

Key initiatives included:

• A $1.4 million Digital Equity Fund supporting 36 community-based organizations delivering digital navigation, telehealth programming and device refurbishment
• Citywide outreach and enrollment efforts that connected 50,712 households to the federal Affordable Connectivity Program (ACP) before it ended
• Expansion of the city’s Wicked Wi-Fi to high-traffic, transit-oriented neighborhoods
• Digital literacy programming within Boston Housing Authority communities, tailored to meet residents’ needs  

Impact at a Glance

To date, the City of Boston translated coordination and investment into citywide outcomes:

• 226,344 users connected through newly expanded Wicked Wi-Fi sites
• 50,712 households enrolled in ACP - nearly 14% of all ACP enrollments statewide
• 11,457 individuals supported through digital navigation services
• 3,916 individuals able to use basic technology and 2,439 using intermediate technology because of a digital literacy course
• 4,157 devices distributed, including laptops and Chromebooks
• 5,447 residents learning new digital skill(s) that meet a particular need
• 36 community-based organizations funded through the largest Digital Equity Fund in the city’s history

Hundreds of residents received one-on-one digital navigation, skills training and device support

These outcomes reflect the city’s ability to activate systems, partners and public assets in response to urgent need.

Human Impact: Bringing City Hall to the Community

In Boston Housing Authority communities, residents often face compounding barriers to digital access including limited income, language access needs and inconsistent connectivity. Through city-supported digital literacy programming and outreach, residents receive hands-on help learning to use devices, navigate online systems and access affordable internet options.

One resident shared having support available within their housing community made it possible to ask questions they had avoided elsewhere. With patience and in-person assistance, they gained confidence using online tools essential for healthcare, benefits and communication.  

For residents who may distrust government systems or face language and accessibility barriers, human-centered approaches like this example make digital support approachable and effective.  

What This Work Revealed

Boston’s experience highlighted several lessons relevant to municipalities and policymakers:

• Cities play a critical coordinating role. Municipal government can align public infrastructure, funding and partners in ways other organizations may struggle to make those connections.
• Community-based organizations are essential. City investment is most effective when it strengthens trusted, neighborhood-level delivery.
• Demand consistently exceeds available resources. Even with historic funding levels, the need for affordable internet, devices and skills training remains significant.
• Public systems must stay flexible. Rapid policy shifts, such as the end of the ACP, require adaptable strategies and sustained capacity.

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