New technology in information and communications has changed the character of the digital divide—and the meaning of digital equity in this deeply connected age. Today home Internet access is common, but low-income households, older Americans and people who have high school degrees or less lag behind other demographic groups.

The widespread use of smartphones is narrowing the gap for some of these groups, but that alone is not a solution for overcoming the digital divide.

These factors, along with the growing importance of the Internet to the economy and society at large, are shifting discourse on digital equity. Since 2009, the Federal Communications Commission has focused the debate around broadband access, which it characterized as a “foundation for a better life” in developing a National Broadband Plan to connect more households by 2020. In fact many key institutions in business, education, health care and government deliver services today in ways that assume that people have Internet access.

This evolving landscape requires a multifaceted approach to policy debates and investments, a new challenge for social organizations and others concerned with narrowing the divide and promoting digital equity. Upgrades in networks and growth in technical capacity must be complemented by investments in digital skills and literacy, and assessing their effectiveness.

The payoff has tremendous potential, leading to powerful new ways to deliver services, but also connecting more people and helping them engage more effectively with their communities.