Digital equity is the concept that every person should have equal access to digital technologies, including internet access. The concept aims to address the divide in access to digital infrastructure that gives some people advantages over others in education, work, and society. Digital equity, or digital inclusion, stresses that all people should be able to easily use modern information technology (IT) devices and services.

Digital equity came into sharp focus when the COVID-19 pandemic forced many schools and workplaces to switch to remote settings. Suddenly, environmental factors made internet access a necessity and made clear how many people face disadvantages because they don’t have the same access to technology.

Research illustrates the impacts of the digital divide. According to a study in Economic Inquiry, teenagers who have access to home computers are 6 to 8 percent more likely to graduate from high school than teenagers who don’t. In addition, students with home internet access earned $2 million more over their lifetimes than students without it