The mission of Digital Impact Group is to enable low-income families and small business owners to gain access to the technology necessary for full civic participation and full access to economic, educational, health, and other life opportunities.

Originally created out of the internationally significant Wireless Philadelphia Initiative, DIG developed an innovative model for digital inclusion that successfully enabled nearly 2000 low-income households to cross the digital divide. This effort was supported by more than 30 public, foundation and corporate funding sources, including the PA Department of Labor and Industry, The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, the Motorola Foundation and The William Penn Foundation. More than 40 community-based organizations across Philadelphia joined with DIG to create and implement customized digital inclusion programs for their clients.

DIG’s comprehensive model centered around enabling participants to earn, via sweat equity, a complete “TechPack” including a new netbook computer, home broadband service, customized training, relevant content and ongoing digital coaching. Participants met benchmarks that were determined by community-based partners in a way that simultaneously supported these organizations' program goals.

A comprehensive, independent, two-year program evaluation conducted by the nationally recognized research firm OMG Center for Collaborative Learning found DIG’s efforts to promote sustainable broadband adoption among low-income populations to be highly effective. The evaluation found that participants learned significant technical skills through the program, passed skills along to other adults and children in their households, and use the tools on an ongoing basis for a wide variety of activities including job search and education.

Today DIG has expanded its work beyond just direct service programs to include policy research, economic impact analysis, program development, and consulting.

DIG was actively involved in the National Broadband Plan proceeding, and was formally cited in the FCC’s 2010 National Broadband Plan. We were asked by the FCC to lead a working group to identify metrics for determining the effectiveness of broadband adoption programs. As a result we developed a formal Framework for Understanding and Evaluating the Broadband Adoption Process. We also participated in several workshops, contributed formal comments in response to Public Notices, and were one of only six organizations showcased at the FCC/Knight Foundation-sponsored America’s Summit on Digital Inclusion in March, 2010. Working with guidance from high-level FCC policy making, research, and economic staff, DIG led the effort, in partnership with Econsult Corporation, to quantify for the first time the cost of digital exclusion to the nation. Intended to be the beginning of a more detailed analysis of the issue, the DIG/Econsult study conservatively estimated the cost to be at least $55 billion annually.

DIG provides Broadband Adoption Consulting Services to support public agencies, non-profit organizations, private firms and various consortia. Our consulting work encompasses feasibility studies, program and business development, research and reporting, and creating and managing vendor relationships. Through a wide range of existing relationships, we are able to coordinate and work in partnership with network infrastructure experts and other key professionals to assure seamless project management.