Data and Skills: A New Front in the War on the Digital Divide

BOWLING GREEN, Ky. – May 18, 2026 – As the nation grapples with a digital landscape increasingly defined by artificial intelligence and ubiquitous connectivity, the battle to close the Digital Divide is evolving. It's a shift from a singular focus on laying fiber-optic cable to a more complex, human-centered approach that prioritizes skills, data, and community empowerment.

Embodying this shift, the national nonprofit Connected Nation today released its 2025 Digital Empowerment Impact Report alongside a new interactive Digital Empowerment Dashboard. The announcement highlights a landmark year for the organization, which trained over 35,000 individuals in digital skills in 2025 alone. The new tools aim to peel back the curtain on digital inclusion efforts, offering a transparent, data-driven look at what works—and where the gaps remain.

Beyond Access: A Data-Driven Approach

For years, the narrative around the Digital Divide has been dominated by infrastructure. Connected Nation’s latest initiative argues that access is only the first step. The organization, which marks its 25th anniversary in 2026, is now championing a message of comprehensive support, underscored by its new public-facing tools.

"Access to technology alone isn't enough. People need the skills, confidence, and support to use technology in ways that improve their daily lives," said Heather Gate, Executive Vice President of Digital Inclusion for Connected Nation, in a statement accompanying the release.

The 2025 report details a wide range of initiatives, from basic digital skills workshops and workforce development to community engagement and pilot programs in AI literacy. The newly launched Digital Empowerment Dashboard is designed to bring this data to life. It allows policymakers, community leaders, and the public to interact with real-time data, explore outcomes, and read community stories that put a human face on the statistics.

"The dashboard gives us a quantitative view of the breadth and scope of our work — while also reflecting the real impact on people's lives," explained Colin Reilly, the nonprofit's Vice President of Data Strategy & Technical Services. He noted the platform is designed to help stakeholders "better understand where progress is happening and where more work is needed." This push for transparency aims to make digital equity efforts more accountable and actionable.

The Persistent Chasm of the Digital Divide

The need for such targeted efforts is stark. Despite years of investment and progress, the Digital Divide remains a deep and persistent chasm in American society. According to recent federal data, more than 15.7 million Americans still cannot access broadband internet. For the 81 million who could get online but don't subscribe, the barriers are often affordability and a lack of digital skills.

The disparity is deeply tied to socio-economic factors. Home internet subscriptions are 40% more common in households earning over $100,000 per year compared to those making less than $30,000. Furthermore, a growing number of Americans are "smartphone-dependent," relying solely on mobile devices for internet access. This is particularly true for U.S. Latino adults, 28% of whom rely on their phones—a figure that has more than doubled in the last decade. This dependency can create significant hurdles for tasks like applying for jobs, completing schoolwork, or accessing telehealth services that are optimized for larger screens.

The problem extends beyond mere access to hardware. An estimated 15 million Americans lack a computing device at home, and a 2026 EDUCAUSE report found that nearly a third of the U.S. workforce possesses "little to no" digital literacy skills, creating a significant drag on economic mobility and national competitiveness.

The New Literacy: Skills for an AI-Powered World

Connected Nation’s focus on training 35,000 people in a single year reflects a national urgency. With projections indicating that 90% of jobs will require digital skills within the next decade, the gap between need and reality is widening. The World Economic Forum's 2025 jobs report found that while 60% of employers see digital access as transformative, only 54% of workers currently possess the necessary skills.

The rapid emergence of artificial intelligence has added another layer of complexity and urgency. AI literacy is quickly becoming a baseline requirement for professional employment. One recent survey found that 66% of leaders would not hire a candidate without AI skills, and 71% would choose a less-experienced candidate with AI skills over a more seasoned one without them.

Recognizing this, Connected Nation's 2025 report highlights its efforts to advance AI readiness, including pilot programs in Kentucky and Texas. The organization stresses that the foundational elements of digital inclusion—internet access, a device, and basic digital skills—are essential prerequisites for developing the AI literacy that will define the future workforce. This sentiment is echoed in the healthcare sector, where a recent CVS Health study revealed that 58% of Medicare members felt low digital literacy negatively impacted their ability to manage their health.

A Quarter-Century of Evolving Strategy

The launch of the report and dashboard marks a milestone in Connected Nation's 25-year history. The organization has evolved from a primary focus on broadband mapping and infrastructure advocacy to a holistic model that integrates data analysis, policy work, and on-the-ground community engagement. Operating through public-private partnerships, it collaborates with a wide network that includes libraries, internet service providers, and government agencies at the local, state, and federal levels.

This comprehensive strategy places it alongside other key players in the digital equity space, such as the National Digital Inclusion Alliance (NDIA), which advocates for federal policy and supports a network of over 600 community organizations. While federal programs like the $42.45 billion Broadband Equity, Access, and Deployment (BEAD) program focus on funding massive infrastructure projects, organizations like Connected Nation are working to ensure that investment translates into meaningful use. Connected Nation has even developed its own "BEAD Tracker" dashboard to monitor the disbursement of these crucial funds.

However, the path forward is not without challenges. Digital inclusion advocates have recently raised alarms over proposed cuts to federal programs like the Digital Equity Act, warning that a lack of sustained funding for digital navigator and training initiatives could stall progress and leave the most vulnerable communities behind. This underscores the fragility of the ecosystem supporting digital inclusion and the importance of the hands-on support and training that are now at the center of the fight to ensure everyone belongs in a connected nation.