ConnectSTL
Let’s #ConnectSTL Together
The City of St. Louis and St. Louis Development Corporation (SLDC) are taking bold steps to close the digital divide and achieve digital equity in St. Louis — but we can’t do it alone. To encourage collaboration and cooperation with technology-driven businesses and community stakeholders, in 2023, we formed a Digital Equity & Inclusion Coalition called ConnectSTL.
ConnectSTL Purpose
To establish a digitally inclusive community where every resident enjoys equal access to opportunities, resources, and the transformative power of technology. As a coalition, our aim is to focus on unity and collaboration and together we strive to dismantle digital barriers, cultivate robust collaborations, and narrow the digital divide. We seek to establish a sustainable model that encourages participation, inclusivity, and continuous improvement.
The #ConnectSTL Coalition meets quarterly. If you’d like to share your expertise, time and resources to make a difference in the community, please join us at the next #ConnectSTL Coalition meeting on May 3, 2024.
The #ConnectSTL Coalition Network also holds monthly virtual meetings via Zoom.
Digital equity is the desired state in which all individuals have the information technology capacity that is needed for full participation in society and the economy.
Bridging the Digital Divide
SLDC has dedicated $5 million of its ARPA allocation toward Digital Equity in the City of St. Louis. This investment builds on our existing strategies focused on equity, economic development and economic justice. Investing in digital literacy and technology training programs to enable participation in the 21st-century economy and helping to bridge the digital divide is a core initiative of the Economic Empowerment pillar of the Economic Justice Action Plan.
To guide these efforts, we spent the better part of 2023 creating the St. Louis Digital Inclusion Action Plan, which outlines strategic priorities and actions that the city can undertake to improve equitable access to high-speed internet and digital skills needed to succeed in today’s modern society.
The vision for the Digital Inclusion Action Plan is to remove the barriers to internet access so that every resident in St. Louis has the opportunity to learn, work and thrive.
The Digital Inclusion Action Plan focuses on three goals to achieve its vision:
Empower City government, business and community stakeholders to collaborate in closing the digital divide.
Improve equitable access to affordable high-speed internet and connected devices.
Enable residents to experience the long-term benefits of technology.
Affordable Connectivity Program (ACP) Ending April 30, 2024
The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) has declared that April 2024 marks the conclusion of the fully funded period for the Affordable Connectivity Program (ACP) benefit. This decision carries significant implications for participating households.
Please find low cost plan options available to St. Louis residents and more detailed information about the wind down of the ACP program:
Contact:
Simon Huang
Chief Technology Officer
huangs@stlouis-mo.gov • 314.622.3757
Sheila Rabbitt
Broadband Analyst
rabbitts@stlouis-mo.gov • 314.657.3786