As it remains clear that thousands of adults — and possibly thousands of children — will remain home for the next few months amid the COVID-19 pandemic, top of mind for many Philadelphians and public servants is the status of internet access across the city and the ability to use it for work and school.

The Office of Innovation and Technology (OIT) rolled out its IT Strategic Plan, a public-facing plan and set of strategies to drive innovation and change within city government, in October. Its intent is to address how OIT and other City departments can solves challenges in response to public needs, and one of its six main pillars stated at the time was to strive for digital access and equity.

As the pandemic swept the region in March, the office has had to look at the topic with renewed focus. It became clear that there are many households, especially with school-aged children, that are not connected to internet or don’t have devices to do online schooling or work, as was discussed during a recent City Council budget hearing.

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