Jeremy Ney 12/13/21 Jeremy Ney 12/13/21

NOLO’s data-driven impact analysis

2 out of 3 foster families told us, “I wouldn't have been able to connect to the internet without this support from NOLO.”

At the height of the pandemic, 80 foster youth and families across Oregon received invaluable Internet access thanks to a partnership between No One Left Offline (NOLO) and Every Child Oregon. Through that partnership, NOLO helped families get back on their feet during COVID-19 and supported youth navigating a complex web of institutions and individuals.

For the majority of families, NOLO’s intervention closed that manifestation of the digital divide. In our final survey, 2 out of 3 foster families told us, “I wouldn't have been able to connect to the internet without this support from NOLO.” We are grateful for the impact we made in this community -- one that was in deep need of support and that may not have received the assistance otherwise.

We sent surveys to foster families before they received NOLO support, at the 6-month mark, and after 1-year of service and saw amazing results. NOLO closed the digital divide for foster families in 5 different counties and across 15 different zip codes.

NOLO was able to 100% close the digital divide for foster youth that we worked with in Oregon. Prior to working with NOLO, 1 in 4 foster youth had 0 internet access. They went to their friends' homes to submit homework or to the public library to get online. After NOLO sent these foster families hot spots, these families were able to access government e-services, receive telehealth support, and receive the foster resources they needed.

Before receiving NOLO devices, foster families were able to spend 5.5 hours online each day. After receiving devices, we recorded a 32% increase in access as households were able to spend 7.25 hours online each day.

Before receiving NOLO devices, foster families rated their connectivity as 5.8 on a 0-10 scale, where 0 meant that families could barely get online and 10 meant that they never had problems connecting. After receiving their devices, we saw a 28% increase in ranking as households now said they would rate their connectivity as a 7.4 on a 10 point scale.

NOLO is grateful for the support of Every Child Oregon in this endeavor. The foster youth community can be difficult to reach and yet they are often the ones that are most in need of support. The internet has become a much greater necessity in ensuring equitable access to basic goods and services, but many more are still at risk of not receiving the access they need. We will continue to support at-risk families across America and continue to drive this same impact and more for those in need.

Afi Blackshear 11/23/21 Afi Blackshear 11/23/21

Why I joined NOLO

I joined NOLO to help the 42 million Americans who don’t have access to the internet.

No One Left Offline has distributed more than 200 devices to low-income Americans across 5 states

In middle school, I moved from North Carolina to Cairo, Egypt. This meant that I was frequently placed on the wrong side of the digital divide. When my school went remote in response to protests and growing tensions in the country, I was either unable to complete assignments because webpages took 20 minutes to load or because the government completely blocked access to the internet.

Given my history with remote life, you could say that the pandemic was familiar territory for me. But now, instead of being like the 20% of teens in the United States that often fail to complete assignments because they lack sufficient internet access, I attend school in Palo Alto at Stanford Law School. As a result, my internet connection is robust, and my ability to complete assignments is no longer barred by buffering.

Moving 5,600 miles from Egypt closed the digital divide for me, yet it persists just miles away here in California. In fact, 42 million Americans lack internet access at broadband speeds. So as the pandemic accelerated the country's transition to cyber life, the real world barriers these 42 million Americans face likewise intensified. The homework gap grew as children attended school at Taco Bell to access online courses; covid-era rent relief programs that were facilitated online for the first time went surprisingly underutilized; and while many of us were able to sign up for vaccines with the click of a button, those without sufficient internet access were instead placed at the back of the line, being put on hold for appointments that were already booked online by the time an operator answered their calls.

Until everyone has internet access, America will continue to entrench historic inequities between the digital “haves” and the digital “have nots." This is why the digital divide must be closed, and why I decided to join the team at No One Left Offline (NOLO). Just one year in, the team has launched successful partnerships in New York, Oregon, California, and soon Massachusetts, distributing over 200 devices to low-income and minority families across 20 different counties. But with 42 million more Americans that continue to lack online opportunity, we're just getting started.

We could use your help.

Kevin Frazier 10/26/21 Kevin Frazier 10/26/21

Nomad Net

Kevin Frazier 9/28/21 Kevin Frazier 9/28/21

Brooklyn Public Library and NOLO team up to provide internet to adult learners

Partners collaborate to close digital divide and support Brooklyn Public Library community

*BPL’s adult learning centers are critical for helping New Yorkers learn online*

BPL and No One Left Offline are closing the digital divide in Brooklyn to help adults learn to read, write, and meet their personal goals

Brooklyn, N.Y. – September 29, 2021 – As the pandemic continues to disrupt day-to-day life, access to remote learning opportunities continues to be more important than ever. Brooklyn Public Library (BPL) has transitioned its adult learning centers online to help expand access to these important educational opportunities while keeping community members healthy. Not all community members have the Internet service required to take advantage of these opportunities. For 90 residents, though, that’s about to change thanks to a collaboration between BPL, No One Left Offline (NOLO), and Devices for Students, a program of Spark.

In conversations between BPL, No One Left Offline (NOLO), and Devices for Students, the three organizations brainstormed innovative solutions to address gaps in internet access throughout the borough.

Together, the organizations, with financial support from Devices for Students, are collaborating to deploy mobile hotspots, each equipped with one year’s worth of complimentary high-speed internet for participants in BPL’s Adult Basic Education programming.

Free hotspots empower adults to develop key skills

*NOLO’s internet will support BPL’s program to assist adults who are working to obtain their high-school equivalency (HSE) diplomas*

“Without internet access students of all ages cannot connect to online learning, denying them the chance to develop skills to reach their full potential and earn well-paying jobs in innovative industries.” Jeremy Ney, Chief Executive Officer, No One Left Offline.

“We are immensely grateful to Devices for Students and NOLO for ensuring students on the wrong side of the digital divide can attend classes and complete assignments,” said Linda E. Johnson, President and CEO of Brooklyn Public Library. “With a reliable internet connection, BPL’s Adult Learning students will have the chance to learn essential skills and ultimately better their lives.”

“So often, adult learners are stranded and sidelined on the information superhighway, and this is a timely partnership for them to plug into online resources and experiences to give them a boost on their education and career pathways,” said Kerwin Pilgrim, Director of Adult Learning, Brooklyn Public Library.

NOLO’s Founder Kevin Frazier added, “This is exactly why NOLO formed – to amplify the great work of community organizations by closing the Digital Divide. We cannot wait to see how many doors are opened because of these students having no issues studying for and attending class.”

The all-volunteer NOLO team now includes students and young professionals across the country. The nonprofit has a simple goal: lower every barrier to Internet access. Rather than work through costly alternatives, NOLO works directly with community institutions to identify individuals with insufficient Internet and to then immediately deliver hotspots with Internet.

To donate to No One Left Offline’s efforts to close the Digital Divide, visit nooneleftoffline.org/donate. Just $63 is enough to provide a mobile hotspot to a member of the community.

Jeremy Ney 7/27/21 Jeremy Ney 7/27/21

Transforming Talent

A Partnership Forms to Close the Digital Divide

No One Left Offline (NOLO) is humbled to receive a $20,000 grant from Umpqua Bank to help close the digital divide in Talent, Oregon. The generous support from Umpqua Bank will make possible a unique and transformative partnership between the City of Talent and NOLO. All funds will go toward the immediate provision of hotspots, each equipped with a year’s worth of high-speed Internet, to residents, small businesses, and community organizations in Talent.

Kevin Frazier, born and raised in Washington County and a graduate of the University of Oregon, started NOLO at the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic. The all-volunteer NOLO team now includes students and young professionals across the country. The nonprofit has a simple goal: lower every barrier to Internet access.

NOLO was founded on the premise that access to the Internet is essential and those lacking such access deserve immediate relief. So, rather than work through burdensome and costly entrenched interests, NOLO works directly with community institutions to identify individuals with insufficient Internet and to then immediately deliver hotspots with Internet.

After the wildfires in Talent, Oregon - Source: NatGeo — *After the wildfires in Talent, Oregon - Source:* *NatGeo*

Through conversations with Umpqua Bank and the City of Talent, the three organizations identified a problematic lack of Internet access in the town, due to devastating fires last year. Jeremy Ney, the community leader and next Chief Executive Officer of NOLO, helped guide these conversations and formulate a specific proposal for Umpqua Bank to financially back. “Without internet access, many social problems only grow - Students cannot learn online, parents cannot work remotely, and families across the country cannot access digital government services.” Jeremy Ney, community leader, No One Left Offline.

“Umpqua Bank values digital inclusion. In order for communities to recover and rebuild from devastating disasters, they need to be connected. Knowing that so many services and resources require stable access to the internet, we’re thrilled to be partnering with No One Left Offline and the City of Talent to help ensure that those who need this support the most, have it.” Brenden Butler, VP, Community Development Officer OR & SW WA, Umpqua Bank

“I could not imagine a more meaningful project for No One Left Offline. We’re honored to work with Oregonians committed to solving problems through unique partnerships and a singular focus on getting stuff done. With the City of Talent and Umpqua Bank, we can transform a community and show that the Internet is essential to individual success and collective well-being.” Kevin Frazier, Founder, No One Left Offline.

*The city of Talent - Source: Talent City Hall*

Following the approval of the partnership, Mayor Ayers-Flood stated, “this unique opportunity will pave the way to improve internet connectivity within our community.” Talent continues to work to expand internet access to all residents and community members.

To donate to No One Left Offline’s continued efforts to close the Digital Divide, visit: nooneleftoffline.org. Just $63 can send a hotspot device to someone on the wrong side of the Digital Divide.

Andrew Cohen 4/20/21 Andrew Cohen 4/20/21

Closing the Digital Divide

Internet is the new electricity - without it, you’re in the dark.

As seen in Berkeley Law

For Kevin Frazier, “the internet is the new electricity — without it, you’re in the dark.”

That mindset drove him to launch No One Left Offline (NOLO), which provides financial assistance to individuals and families struggling to pay their broadband bills. The organization is also creating “NOLO Zones” at San Francisco businesses, creating spaces with free WiFi for all.

More than 42 million Americans lack broadband. The COVID-19 pandemic has exacerbated the problem with schools forced to teach students online, people with health problems increasingly reliant on video medical appointments, and older adults needing online access to connect with loved ones.

“Being able to use the internet is more important than ever,” Frazier says. “But it’s something too many people have to trade off with other essentials.”

Before law school, he saw this firsthand while leading Passport Oregon, a nonprofit that connected families in “under-natured” communities with the state’s outdoors.

“During our trips, kids and their parents were constantly weighing when they should turn their phones off, how many texts they could send, and whether they had enough data left that month to do a quick Google search,” he recalls. “Data caps and other barriers were leaving these families in the digital dark.”

Eager to help, Frazier studied the political and legal barriers to internet

access at the Harvard Kennedy School and now Berkeley Law. When the pandemic hit, he quickly began contacting community service organizations already working on the issue.

“They had identified those in need of devices, internet, and digital literacy,” Frazier says. “They simply needed someone to help guide them in meeting those needs.”

NOLO has since formed a coalition of more than 20 organizations with deep connections to communities lacking broadband in the Bay Area and Portland, Frazier’s hometown.

An example of that outreach is Señor Sisig, a restaurant in San Francisco’s Mission District. NOLO donated a hotspot there, equipped with a year of internet, which Señor Sisig leaves open for community members to use for quick searches, downloads, and scheduling needs.

Soon after, NOLO procured 10 hotspots for Opportunity Junction, led by Berkeley Law grad Alissa Friedman ’87, which helps Contra Costa County residents find careers and achieve financial security. Eighty hotspots are also being sent to Every Child Oregon, which will distribute them to families with foster youth across that state.

Frazier, who works with the hotspot providers to limit potential security and privacy concerns, credits Berkeley Law’s community for donating to the cause, helping identify other coalition partners, and honing pivotal skills.

“I’ve grown much more comfortable reading contracts, writing MOUs, and weighing the risks of various potential partnerships,” he says. “Though people in the private and public sectors have good intentions about remedying this discordance, there’s still a lot to be done. I’m eager to continue working at the nexus of technology and good governance.” —Andrew Cohen

Jeremy Ney 4/12/21 Jeremy Ney 4/12/21

NOLO Chats with the FCC About "The Moral Imperative to Close the Digital Divide."

Over the last month, many of us made note of our “quarantine anniversaries” on our calendars because we have now been in our homes to help slow the spread of COVID-19 for more than a year. We’ve been incredibly dependent on broadband to connect to work, school, and our loved ones. Unfortunately, for millions of people across this nation, the process of accessing or maintaining a home broadband connection has been financially costly and personally draining.

The government agency largely responsible for ensuring everyone across the United States has access to broadband is the Federal Communications Commission. The FCC is traditionally directed by five Commissioners although it currently has four Commissioners until another is appointed by the President and confirmed by the U.S. Senate.

One of those four Commissioners is Commissioner Geoffrey Starks who has been vocal about the urgent need to connect communities of color and low-income communities to broadband. Traditionally, Commissioners have three legal advisors; however, when Commissioner Starks was unanimously confirmed by the Senate, he decided to bring on an additional advisor who could focus specifically on issues of equity.

The staffer leading that charge is Commissioner Starks’ Special Advisor, Dr. Alisa Valentin, who is helping the Commissioner take bold steps to close the digital divide. No One Left Offline sat down for an interview with Dr. Valentin about the work that America needs to do to bring critical internet connections to families most in need.

The digital divide isn’t just something Dr. Valentin works on professionally, it’s something she has experienced. Dr. Valentin grew up in rural South Georgia in a town called Tifton, about an hour away from Telfair County which NOLO has previously highlighted for having the lowest rate of internet connection of any county in America. Her experience and visits back to South Georgia expose her to the challenges that families face who don’t have reliable internet due to lack of infrastructure.

Where infrastructure exists, it can be unreliable, or families are forced to pay exorbitant internet bills with incredibly slow speeds. Additionally, she recognizes that there are millions of households that solely depend on their phones to access the internet. That’s why it’s not surprising that she went on to pursue a PhD at Howard University, an HBCU located in Washington, D.C., where she focused on identifying community-centered solutions to close the digital divide by centering those who are unable to afford reliable broadband

Dr. Valentin has brought this community-focus to her work within the Office of FCC Commissioner Geoffrey Starks. She says that Commissioner Starks often talks about the power of convening because it offers an opportunity to bring diverse voices to the table alongside an opportunity to elevate different ways the digital divide is impacting various communities.

To that end, she has organized the Commissioner’s HBCU presidents’ roundtables as well as panel discussions related to Black mental health and broadband access, the Latinx digital divide, the future of work, and Black businesses working to stay afloat during the pandemic.

Dr. Valentin says that the Commissioner’s dedication to focusing on the intersection of civil rights and broadband has helped bring much-needed attention to the racial digital divide that exists throughout both urban and rural America.

Commissioner Starks is the only Black commissioner at the FCC and his team has taken up the responsibility of being the voice for marginalized communities. Dr. Valentin says that as a Black woman and a Latina, she doesn’t take that responsibility lightly and she believes the Commissioner’s office has done important work to address the various connectivity needs of Black, Latinx, and Indigenous communities across the nation.

She says their focus on the nation’s most marginalized communities allows their office to continue pushing forward policies that address the number one barrier to broadband adoption, which is affordability.

This work comes at a critical time – According to the FCC, at least 19 million Americans and 10 million school-age children do not have internet access. As much of normal life has gone online, this means millions of American cannot attend school, show up for work, access telehealth appointments, or reach digital government services. "Without ensuring everyone has fast, reliable access to the Internet, America risks leaving an entire generation of children and workers behind.

The FCC has pushed forward several programs to close the digital divide. While the Lifeline Program provides affordable communications services support to low-income families struggling with connectivity, Commissioner Starks has often highlighted the need to ensure this program meets the modern-day needs of the nation’s most vulnerable communities. Additionally, he has been vocal about the ways the FCC can improve interagency coordination to ensure households learn about their eligibility to participate in the Lifeline program.

Dr. Valentin says that outreach is also one of the Commissioner’s top priorities as it relates to the FCC’s new Emergency Broadband Benefit program which offers $50 discounts (and $75 discounts on tribal lands) per month to households that otherwise cannot easily afford broadband. Commissioner Starks has said, “If we are successful—and we must be—the Emergency Broadband Benefit (EBB) will reach more disconnected low-income households and people of color than any previous FCC effort to close the digital divide.”

Screen Shot 2021-04-12 at 9.24.18 AM.png

When you ask Dr. Valentin about the future, she is hopeful that we will be able to live in a connected world that allows everyone to thrive and she has a few ideas for how we can move the ball forward together.

First, she believes that we must all recognize that we have a moral imperative to close the digital divide across the country. She also says that we must invest in our low-income households, K-12 students, and our nation’s HBCUs and minority serving institutions.

Second, she believes that the policies we enact must be future proof. It’s not simply about meeting the moment, it’s also about being ready and competitive in the years ahead. Dr. Valentin says the pandemic has been a wake-up call about the experiences of those living on the wrong side of the digital divide that has created an increased momentum to meet the connectivity needs of households across this nation.

She hopes that the urgent need to connect our most vulnerable communities does not dissipate when we are able to experience some sense of normalcy again.

At NOLO, we share the same hopes and the same sense of urgency. Dr. Valentin is doing incredible work in the Office of Commissioner Starks to promote connectivity, equity, and impact in communities that need it most.

Jeremy Ney 2/16/21 Jeremy Ney 2/16/21

Internet Access and Inequality

Internet access is not equally distributed in America

Originally published on Substack

The internet was supposed to be open to all, but it is closed to many. The COVID-19 pandemic has shown that without reliable internet access, Americans often cannot work, attend school, or access government services. If you’ve ever felt the frustration of losing your WiFi or getting caught in a dead zone with no connection, you know the pain that millions of American feel every day. The difference is that those families cannot just reset the router and go on with their lives.

According to the FCC, 21 million Americans and 10 million school-age children do not have internet access. This means 15% of all children in school will not have the same education as their peers, will struggle academically, and will have fewer economic opportunities as they grow older. The challenges of the ‘Digital Divide’ are growing.

Low-income communities are the least connected in America. New data analysis reveals a 75% correlation between median household income and broadband access across all US counties. Many of these regions tend to be rural or tribal regions where there are fewer jobs and less public infrastructure. A child born into a county with a median income of $35,000 has a coin-flip chance of having any internet connection.

Douglass County, CO and Telfair County, GA are prime examples of the digital divide since they are the best and worst connected counties in the country. On one hand, Douglas has 97% connectivity, sits right outside of Denver, and has a median income of $115,314. On the other, Telfair has 32% connectivity, sits 100 miles from the nearest city, and has a median income of $30,288. The digital divide maps almost exactly to the country’s economic divide. Loudon County, the richest county in America, just ordered 15,000 Chromebooks for its students in May while Jefferson County in Mississippi has seen no such support.

The problem is worse than policymakers realize. The FCC has historically underestimated the number of connected households, and even some of the agency’s own commissioners have dismissed FCC reports as “blindly accepting incorrect data.” The FCC measures connectivity by census block, which means that if an Internet Service Provider (ISP) offers service to at least one household in a census block, the FCC counts the entire census block as covered by that provider. The FCC acknowledges this measurement error and is working with ISPs to fix it. BroadBand Now instead calculates that 42 million Americans lack internet access, double the official estimate.

Pre-COVID19 Digital Divide

While the digital divide is now in clear focus as people work remotely and learn online, the problem has existed for decades. In 2010, the Gates Foundation conducted a study of 77 million people who could not access internet at home and thus relied on internet at public libraries. Gates found that this connectivity was critical for advancing people’s education, health, careers, and access to government services.

32 million people (42% of visitors) sought out educational help on the library computers — 37% of these respondents used their local library computer to do homework for a class, meaning that internet access at a library helped advance the educations of 12 million students.
30 million people (40% of visitors) used the internet to apply for jobs — 75% of these respondents said that they searched online for a job and 51% submitted a resume.
28 million people (37% of visitors) used library computers for health issues — 82% of these respondents logged on to learn about a disease, illness, or medical condition and 33% searched for doctors or health care providers.

Even before the pandemic pushed everyone online, internet access was essential for getting basic needs in an increasingly digital world.

Students, Income Inequality, and the Internet

Students in low-income communities suffer the most. In Robeson County, North Carolina the median income is $33,679, making it the bottom 5% of all counties, but students spend weeks trying to get Wi-Fi hotspots and hand in homework here. 43% of the county’s 27,000 students have no internet. In November, the New York Times interviewed a school superintendent in Robeson who said this about unaffordable access and lack of cell towers: “It’s un-American. can’t wrap my head around the fact that we live in a place where you have all this technology, yet we have families who can’t access the internet in the comfort of their home.”

While the digital divide is often seen as a rural challenge, students in cities feel the pain too. In August 2020, a photo went viral after two girls in Los Angeles were seen studying on the ground in a Taco Bell parking lot to use the nearby Wi-Fi. LA county has 268,000 students without internet, making it the worst county in America. James Steyer, CEO of Common Sense Media, summarized the internet inequality dilemma, saying, “The tragedy is this is not a Democratic or Republican problem. It is simply not fair that a poor family in a rural area or a low-income urban area does not have the resources to send their kids to school in this pandemic.”

Income inequality is increasing in America, which widens the digital divide. When income inequality grows, fewer families can afford broadband plans or purchase connected devices, fewer ISPs compete in low-income areas, and more people move into poorly connected affordable housing. But increasing internet access can actually reduce inequality. One study in the US showed that increasing internet penetration by 1% can increase employment by 0.3%, creating jobs for 405,000 people. In these studies, families used this newfound access to search for jobs, healthcare, training, and government support.

Access to the internet improves learning outcomes. Michela Carlana of the Harvard Kennedy School and Eliana La Ferrara of Bocconi University’s , Laboratory for Effective Anti-poverty Policies were able to improve the academic performance of disadvantaged Italian high-school students by conducting low-cost online homework tutoring programs. Just 3 hours of online tutoring per week improved students’ grades by 4.7%. A full day of school is critical for childhood development, but even a few hours of online work can greatly improve academic success too.

The Landscape of Solutions

Three different tactics have been deployed to address the digital divide — public, private, and non-profit solutions. These three domains will have to work in tandem to address the highly correlated challenge of income inequality and internet inequality. The best solutions are to provide hotspots to students, to subsidize the cost of connecting low-income communities, and to increase competition in broadband markets to drive down prices.

Public sector solutions — In June 2020, Representative Jim Clyburn introduced a $100 billion bill (H.R. 7302) to authorize construction of high speed internet access in rural communities. This bill is the largest Congressional effort ever seen, with $80 billion going towards broadband infrastructure spending, and the rest going towards creating more affordable and accessible options. Congress is not acting alone though. The Department of Agriculture has created a Rural Utilities Service and ReConnect program; the Department of Commerce has deployed billions through its Broadband Technologies Opportunity Program and State Broadband Initiative; and the FCC similarly has helped ISPs set up networks through its Universal Service Fund Connect America Fund and helped families through its , E-Rate program and $9.95/month subsidy through Lifeline.

Private Sector Solutions — ISPs like Verizon, AT&T, and Comcast have created various programs to increase coverage and close the digital divide. Comcast’s “Internet Essentials” program offers low-cost 25mbps internet for $9.95/month to households that can show they’ve used public assistance programs like housing assistance or food stamps. ISPs typically rely on government support to connect rural areas since this can be costly, just like it was when America first started electrifying rural areas. While fiber has the potential to provide cheaper and faster internet, it has not yet shown promising results. The cost of laying fiberoptic cables can run $50-$500 per foot.

Non-Profit Solutions — US non-profits have focused on both short-term and long-term solutions. In the short-term, non-profits like Mobile Citizen, Mobile Beacon and No One Left Offline have helped deploy Wi-Fi hotspots and affordable internet plans to families in need. They have also helped schools but Wi-Fi networks on school buses so children can park nearby to complete homework. In the long-term, non-profits have helped cities and towns create their own municipal networks by setting up towers and negotiating contracts, However, these efforts have recently run into setbacks. 22 states actually ban municipal broadband, meaning that private companies have to be the ones to provide internet. Municipal networks often increase competition, thereby lowering prices.

The Path Forward

When Thomas Edison electrified the country, he revolutionized the way that Americans work. Electric dishwashers and washing machines gave hours back to every day, people worked longer hours under the shine of lightbulbs, and a whole new industry of public utilities emerged in lockstep. While it was expensive to run electrical cables to rural areas or low-income neighborhoods that struggled with high prices, electricity improved everything about daily life.

Public, private, and non-profit sectors can work together again to connect millions of home to the internet now. Just as Thomas Edison put electricity in every home, so too can America put internet into every person’s hands. Congress has brought funds, ISPs have brought infrastructure, and non-profits have brought community engagement. The focus now must be on students, particularly because programs that invest in children have the highest returns. These three sectors can make the biggest change by focusing on regions that have overlapping red — the highest number of children without internet and the lowest internet penetration.

The progress of our society has made internet essential to the functioning of everyday life. While low-income families and students suffer the most without internet access, solutions to increase connectivity can help bridge America’s digital divide.

Learn more

Andrew Cohen 2/7/21 Andrew Cohen 2/7/21

From Students to Seniors, 2L Kevin Frazier’s Nonprofit Helps Close the Digital Divide

***Kevin Frazier '22 (second from left) saw the impact of internet access inequity while leading Passport Oregon, which brings children from under-natured communities to outdoor spaces in the state.***

Originally published on Berkeley Law

For Berkeley Law student Kevin Frazier ’22, “the internet is the new electricity — without it, you’re in the dark.”

That mindset drove him to launch No One Left Offline (NOLO), a nonprofit providing financial assistance to individuals and families struggling to pay their broadband bills. The organization is also beginning to create “NOLO Zones” at businesses in San Francisco, creating spaces with free WiFi for all.

More than 42 million Americans lack broadband, a problem exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic, especially with schools nationwide forced to teach students solely online. People with health problems and disabilities are increasingly reliant on internet access for telehealth sessions, as are older adults eager for maintaining contact with loved ones.

“With the internet, you’re able to learn new things, increase your productivity, and connect with more people,” Frazier says. “For a lot of folks, though, access to the internet is something they have to trade off with other essentials.”

Frazier saw this first hand before law school while leading Passport Oregon, a nonprofit that connected families in “under-natured” communities with the state’s outdoors.

“During our trips, kids and their parents were constantly weighing when they should turn their phones off, how many texts they could send, and whether they had enough data left that month to do a quick Google search,” he says. “Data caps and other barriers to full internet access were leaving these families in the digital dark.”

Springing into action

***Frazier delivers a hotspot to the restaurant Señor Sisig in San Francisco this past summer for the creation of a “NOLO Zone.”***

Since then, Frazier has worked to understand the political and legal barriers to internet access through his public policy studies at the Harvard Kennedy School and now at Berkeley Law. When the pandemic hit, he saw an optimal time to turn study into practice.

About a year ago, Frazier and some friends were sharing their mutual frustration about how often people complain about Bay Area inequities without taking any steps to remedy them. They set up the Neighborhood Nonprofit Platform in early 2020, with the intent of talking to community stakeholders about how they could improve local neighborhoods.

But when the pandemic struck in the midst of that outreach, it quickly clarified where Frazier’s group could intervene in a meaningful way — helping community service organizations already working with families and residents to close the digital divide.

“We learned that these organizations had identified those in need of devices, internet, and digital literacy,” he says. “They simply needed someone to help guide them in meeting those needs. That’s when our platform pivoted and fully shifted to No One Left Offline.”

NOLO has since formed a coalition of more than 20 organizations with deep connections to communities lacking broadband in the Bay Area and Portland, Frazier’s hometown.

One example highlighting the group’s approach with local organizations includes Señor Sisig, a restaurant in San Francisco’s Mission District. NOLO donated a hotspot there, equipped with a year of internet, which Señor Sisig leaves open for community members to use for quick searches, downloads, and scheduling needs.

Opportunity knocks

Soon after, the group procured 10 hotspots for Opportunity Junction — led by Berkeley Law grad Alissa Friedman ’87 — which helps motivated Contra Costa County residents find careers and achieve financial security. NOLO will soon send 80 hotspots to Every Child Oregon, which will distribute the devices to families with foster youth across that state.

“Kevin is persuasive and persistent,” Friedman says. “Because of the relationships he has developed, we at Opportunity Junction have been able to supply all our job training participants with the hotspots they need for our online training. When the pandemic hit, we pivoted to online delivery of all program elements. Were it not for NOLO, several of our trainees would not have had the internet service needed to participate and launch new careers.”

Frazier, who works with the given hotspot providers to limit potential security and privacy concerns, credits Berkeley Law’s community for donating to the cause, helping identify other coalition organizations, and honing pivotal skills.

“This has surely been the most meaningful part of my law school experience,” he says. “Launching a nonprofit has required me to lean on several of the lessons I’ve learned and practice at school. First and foremost, I’ve grown much more comfortable reading contracts, writing MOUs, and weighing the risks of various potential partnerships.”

Last summer, Frazier learned more about the digital landscape working for Cloudflare, which strives to make the internet safer and more inclusive. He split his time between Cloudflare and interning remotely with the Supreme Court of Guam.

In both positions, “it became even more clear that the law is often decades behind technology,” Frazier says. “Though people in the private and public sectors have good intentions about remedying this discordance, there’s still a lot to be done. I’m eager to continue working at the nexus of technology and good governance.”

Kevin Frazier 1/30/21 Kevin Frazier 1/30/21

The coronavirus pandemic is expanding California’s digital divide

If every California student without an adequate internet connection got together and formed a state, it would contain more residents than Idaho or Hawaii.

Image Credits: Catherine Delahaye / Getty Images — **Image Credits:** Catherine Delahaye / Getty Images

Originally published on TechCrunch

If every California student without an adequate internet connection got together and formed a state, it would contain more residents than Idaho or Hawaii.

A total of 1,529,000 K-12 students in California don’t have the connectivity required for adequate distance learning.

Analysis from Common Sense Media also revealed that students lacking adequate connection commonly lack an adequate device as well. The homework gap that separates those with strong connections from those on the wrong side of the digital divide will become a homework chasm without drastic and immediate intervention.

To raise awareness of the enormity and immediacy of the digital divide, I started No One Left Offline (NOLO) in San Francisco. It’s an all-volunteer nonprofit that’s creating a coalition of Bay Area organizations focused on giving students, seniors and individuals with disabilities access to high-speed, affordable Internet.

During the week of July 27, the NOLO coalition will launch the Bridge the Divide campaign to raise $50,000 in funds that will be used to directly cover broadband bills for families on the edge of the digital divide.

At this point in our response to COVID-19, emergency measures have only stopped the homework gap from growing rather than actually shrinking it. That’s precisely why we need a new form of addressing students’ lack of adequate internet and devices. The digital “haves” should embrace directly covering the broadband bills and upgrades required by the “have nots.” This form of direct giving is both the most effective and efficient means of giving every student high-speed internet and a device to make the most of that connection.

But too few people are aware of just how dire life can be on the wrong side of the digital divide. That’s why I’m hoping you — as a fellow member of the digital “haves” — will join me in taking a day off(line) on July 17. I’m convinced that it will take a day (if not more) in the digital dark for more Americans to recognize just how difficult it is to thrive, let alone survive, without stable internet, a device and a sufficient level of digital literacy.

The increased attention to the digital divide generated by this day off(line) will spur a more collective and significant response to stopping the formation of a homework chasm.

Current efforts to close the homework gap have at once been laudable and limited. For example, internet service providers (ISPs) deserve praise for taking a voluntary pledge to limit fees, forgive fines and remove data caps. But that pledge expired at the end of June, months before school starts and in the middle of an expanding economic calamity.

It’s true that many ISPs are still going to extraordinary lengths to help those in need — look no further than Verizon donating phones to Miracle Messages to help individuals experiencing homelessness connect with loved ones. However, even these extraordinary measures will not fully make up for the fact that hundreds of thousands of Californians are experiencing greater financial insecurity than ever before. They want and require a long-term solution to their digital needs — not just voluntary pledges that end in the middle of a pandemic.

In the same way, many school districts in the Bay Area have rapidly loaned hotspots and devices to students and families in need. In fact, even before COVID-19, the Oakland Unified School District and the 1Million Project were providing hotspots to students in need. These sorts of interventions, though, do not afford students on the wrong side of the homework gap the same opportunity to fully develop their digital literacy as those that have devices to call their own and internet connections sufficient to do more than just homework.

Every student deserves a device to call their own and a connection that allows them to become experts in safely and smoothly navigating the internet.

Direct giving is the solution. Financially secure individuals across the Bay Area can and should “sponsor” internet plans and devices for families in need. By sponsoring a family’s high-speed internet plan for a year or more, donors will provide students and parents alike with the security they need to focus on all of the other challenges associated with life in a pandemic. What’s more, sponsored devices would come without strings attached or “used” labels.

Students would have a fully equipped laptop to call their own as well as one that didn’t lack key functionalities, which is common among donated devices.

Because access to the internet is a human right, the government should be solving the homework gap. So far, it hasn’t been up to the task. So, in the interim, we’ll need a private sector solution. The good news is that we collectively seem up for the task. According to Fidelity, most charitable donors plan to maintain or increase their giving this year.

Consider that even 46% of millennials plan to increase their philanthropy. Unfortunately, one inhibitor to giving is the fact that “many donors don’t feel that they have the information they need to effectively support efforts” to address the ramifications of COVID-19.

That’s where NOLO and other digital inclusion coalitions step in. We’re sounding the bell: The public sector isn’t closing the homework gap; it’s on us to make sure kids have the connections and devices they need to thrive. NOLO is also providing the means to act on this information — during its Bridge the Divide campaign, donors will have a chance to sponsor broadband bills for community members served by organizations across the Bay Area including the SF Tech Council, BMAGIC and the Mission Merchants Association.

Our collective assignment is making the homework gap a priority. Our due date is nearing. The first task is taking a day off(line) on July 17. The next is donating to the Bridge the Divide campaign during the week of the 27th.

Let’s get to work.

Send feedback to Kevin:

kfraz@berkeley.edu

@kevintfrazier

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Fix It

Kevin Frazier 1/24/21 Kevin Frazier 1/24/21

Closing a divide, one device and foster youth at a time

Help No One Left Offline and Every Child close the Digital Divide among Oregon's foster youth

Kevin Frazier edits The Oregon Way and NOLO Blog. He grew up in Beaverton and attended the UO before working for the State of Oregon. His current “day jobs” include attending law school and running No One Left Offline.

The best gift? Connection.

"Kids heart OLPC (no matter what the critics say)" by Tim & Selena Middleton is licensed under CC BY 2.0

When the holidays roll around, there’s an urge to buy our loved ones flashy watches (as if their phone didn’t keep the time), new coffee devices (as if anyone has the patience to wait twenty minutes for a pour over), and comfy sweaters (ripe for hanging next to the one from last year).

That’s why my loved ones received a different kind of gift this past holiday season. It’s not that they had been naughty, I just knew a traditional gift would be destined for the heaps of stuff that’s unnecessary and bound to be thrown out.

This Christmas, I donated five hotspots to No One Left Offline (NOLO) on behalf of my loved ones. Each of these hotspots will be distributed to a foster family that’s currently on the wrong side of the Digital Divide — in other words, to Oregonians lacking the Internet they need to thrive. Thanks to Every Child Oregon, these hotspots as well as more than 70 other devices procured by NOLO are heading for foster families in every corner of the state.

Admittedly, these gifts were a bit like feeding two birds with one scone:

crossing off my Christmas obligations, and
simultaneously helping NOLO begin its biggest endeavor yet — assessing how these hotspots are helping improve outcomes for foster families.

A growing divide

At this point in the pandemic, unless you’ve been in the longest recorded Netflix-binge session ever, you’ve surely heard that there’s a lot of kids out there who have struggled to attend school as a result of insufficient Internet. According to Common Sense Media, at least one in four students lack adequate Internet.

And, unless you’ve been avoiding all Oregon-related news for the last few years, you’re surely aware of the fact that the number of youth entering the foster system in the state has remained stubbornly high.

Chart provided by the Department of Human Services.

As the chart above makes clear, upwards of 3,300 young Oregonians are entering the foster system on an annual basis.

NOLO’s prioritization of foster youth is intentional. The Digital Divide tends to be even wider among foster youth. Case in point, 90 percent of teens in the US own a laptop, but that number drops to 20 percent for teens growing up in foster care. And, closing the Digital Divide for foster families has benefits that extend beyond the youth. Foster parents that lack sufficient Internet, for example, struggle to connect with social workers, which is critical to the well-being of the kids in their stead.

An easy way to do your part

NOLO is proud to be working with Every Child to close this Divide as soon as possible. Together, they’ll have distributed more than 80 hotspots by the end of the month, each equipped with a year of Internet and capable of supporting 10+ devices, to foster families around Oregon.

To make sure these devices are impactful as possible, NOLO will be surveying foster families about how access to the Internet is transforming everything from work to play.

As you know, completing surveys isn’t the most fun. That’s why I am reaching out to you — The Oregon Way community — to see if you or any organization you work for or know of might be willing to provide some incentives for hotspot recipients to provide information that will help NOLO and Every Child hasten their effort to make sure no child is left offline.

A gift that keeps giving

The gift of connection is much more than a one time act. When we close Oregon’s Digital Divide, we will be on our way toward making sure that every resident—from students to seniors—has the chance to reach their full potential.

Oregon has long prided itself on being “first.” Maybe it has something to do with our track and field legacy. History aside, let’s be the first state to close the Digital Divide among foster youth. It’s a big, bold goal, but it’s well within our capacity.

Please reach out to kfraz@berkeley.edu if you or your organization are in a spot to help make this pilot program a success.