RES 043 Draft 01 2020-2022 - Laserfiche WebLink

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Emphasize digital equity and inclusion through digital literacy messaging to address e.g. accessibility, linguistic, cultural, generational, and literacy challenges in seeking resources GOAL 3 :: Enable Hawaii to Thrive through a Digital Economy Broadband is fundamental to life and business today. It is the retail operation instantly transmitting sales to its bank account. It is a visitor reserving a hotel stay. It is the orthopedic surgeon accessing a patient's X-ray instantly from the diagnostic lab. It is the telescope operator of a defense contractor capturing images of objects in space. It is the utility precisely balancing energy demands of residential and commercial customers. It is a researcher uncovering a technology breakthrough through visualization. Seemingly overnight, the coronavirus upended how we functioned. The effects were devastating on the state's economy. Jobs transitioned from in situ to teleworking from home, classrooms pivoted to virtual learning, and telehealth replaced in -office visits. COVID-1 9 brought into sharp focus Hawaii's broadband capability—or lack of it—as the state and the counties sought effective responses to the prolonged economic challenge. We cannot survive without continuing to invest in broadband. Our island economy and all of its sectors can only recover and then thrive by enhancing, expanding, and building on our broadband infrastructure. The World Economic Forum Global Future Council estimates that "70% of new value created in the economy over the next decade will be based on digitally enabled platform business models" and reinforces the role of broadband to create new opportunities that improve the economic and social well-being of Hawaii's residents. Empower DBEDT's Broadband and Digital Equity Office to achieve economic development goals in broadband Create a Broadband and Digital Equity Office in the Department of Business Economic Development and Tourism to pursue the economic objectives and realize