Digital technology has revolutionized our world. It's changed the way we do business, the way we learn, the way we buy, and the way we interact with each other. It's created a world in which the manufacturing of ideas is as important as the manufacturing of goods. It has diminished the supremacy of traditional economic assets—such as natural resources, proximity to marketplaces, and weather—and increased the importance of an evolving telecommunications infrastructure that better connects people and businesses to the information and opportunities they seek wherever they may be.
Currently, 30% of Chicagoans lack the broadband connections required to fully participate in this digital revolution. This is most common among low-income families, minorities, people with disabilities, and seniors. In an increasingly competitive world, all Chicagoans have a stake in closing this divide. Achieving digital excellence—universal, meaningful participation in technology— is vital to maintaining Chicago’s position as a leading global city.
The City's Technology Plan identifies several initiatives aimed at making Chicago a city where technology fuels opportunity, inclusion, engagement, and innovation for all.
|Oct 20, 2015||Mayor Emanuel, Chicago Public Schools Expand High-Speed Broadband Access to Every Student in Every Classroom|
|Feb 20, 2014||Mayor Emanuel Announces Significant Expansion in Digital Learning Programs for Teens|
|Sep 16, 2013||Mayor Emanuel, Comcast Announce that Chicago's Internet Essentials Enrollment Doubles to 14,000 More Than In Any Other City In The Nation|
|Sep 12, 2013||City Council Approves Expansion of Fiber Optic Cables as Part of Broadband Initiative|