Conference Agenda

Introduction

In 2021, the U.S. Congress passed the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA), which allocated $2.75 billion under the Digital Equity Act to address digital inequality across all fifty states, the District of Columbia, and Puerto Rico through three grant programs. The initial distribution of funds was made through the Digital Equity Planning Grant program, administered by the National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA). An initial analysis of all final plans funded under this grant program shows widespread readiness to implement regional and statewide Digital Navigator programs. Digital Navigators are defined as ‘trusted guides who assist community members with ongoing, individualized support for accessing affordable and appropriate connectivity, devices, and digital skills’ (NDIA, 2026). Given the scale of planned public investment, additional research is needed to assess the utility of digital navigation within state and national digital equity policy.

Research Question

While existing research has examined the value of digital navigation in public health, only a few studies (e.g., Strover et al., 2024; Guernsey et al., 2023; Popiel & Berman, 2025), have investigated the role of Digital Navigators in advancing broadband adoption and digital equity in community anchor institutions, such as public libraries. This study addresses a gap in digital inequality research to inform state and national digital equity policy through the following research questions: How can sociotechnical systems theory be used to assess the utility of Digital Navigators in promoting digital inclusion in community anchor institutions? How can findings from this approach help practitioners and policymakers utilize Digital Navigators to inform state and national digital equity policy?

Research Design

This paper presents findings from a study of the Digital Navigators of the Hudson Valley (DNHV) initiative in New York State and explores how sociotechnical systems theory provides a framework for examining how Digital Navigators programs can support broadband adoption and digital equity at scale. The research team applied a sociotechnical systems (STS) framework to analyze anonymous responses to three questions gathered from a 2024 DNHV cohort exit survey data: (1) “Do you have any final thoughts about the experience that can help improve the program?” (2) “Do you have any final thoughts regarding your experience in the Digital Navigators of the Hudson Valley program?” and (3) “What skill or knowledge do you have now that you did not have before starting the program?”

The research team used the STS framework to identify the following five social subsystem elements highlighted by Trist & Bamforth (1951) in Abbas & Michael (2025): people, relationships, values, structure, and work-related elements. These elements, along with the technical subsystem and the external environment subsystem, were expanded upon by drawing on definitions from the literature (Cooper & Foster, 1971; Harvey, 2017; Iott et al., 2021).

Relevance to Communications Policy

The sociotechnical systems (STS) framework is introduced as a strategy to inform three communication policy contexts: (1) digital equity planning, (2) program evaluation, and (3) public policy advocacy. First, the STS framework can support evidence-based planning for Digital Navigator programs as assets for federally funded initiatives and to identify gaps in digital inclusion services. Second, the STS framework can be effective for evaluating Digital Navigator programs in public libraries and other types of organizations that employ social workers, health workers, educators, and other human and community service workers. Third, the STS framework also be used for policy advocacy. For example, the STS framework could be used to evaluate existing assets identified in a digital equity plan and to provide data to inform the development of new programs with future funding.

Results and Conclusions

The DNHV program shows that Digital Navigators function as the social subsystem that facilitate the use of technical subsystems, across interorganizational networks, to support broadband affordability, digital skills training, information service provision, and improved access conditions. Policymakers can draw on these findings, and the STS framework introduced, to consider funding structures and reporting requirements that account for staffing stability, ongoing training, peer learning infrastructure, and systems for adapting to changing affordability and access. The findings also underscore the importance of funding not only technology deployment but also the human and social infrastructure that enable equitable access to technology. Embedding sociotechnical thinking into the design of digital equity programs can strengthen the resilience and adaptability of digital inclusion initiatives in state and national policy contexts.