"We have a pretty big digital divide between the Black and white population," says Tom Chi, chief innovation officer for the city of Springfield. This is one of the drivers behind the city's recent internet survey.
Partnering with University of Illinois Springfield, the survey gathers input from Springfield residents about the current speed, quality and reliability of their household internet, as well as the role the internet had in homes during the COVID-19 pandemic. One of the goals is to collect data to discover, as Chi notes, "What are the root issues that cause the divide, and how to narrow and close it? The survey is the first step to see where the challenges really lie."
This story was published in the Illinois Times on July 29, 2021.