Lets close the digital divide by 2030! how you can help.
Linwood Avenue School lunchtime Code Club (girls all writing games) my photo taken with permission.
Why do we need a new digital equity roadmap?
Digital equity remains a significant challenge, with poverty, affordability, and systemic inequities widening the digital divide.
In the current economic climate, achieving full digital inclusion by 2020 (Labour promise 2017) just wasn’t realistic. However, this doesn’t mean progress has to stop. Instead, we need to focus on developing a new, ambitious roadmap for digital equity by 2030—a plan that acknowledges the challenges we face while ensuring meaningful activity continues in parallel.
Don’t get me wrong, I don’t love the idea of roadmaps for the sake of them and I am not advocating stopping work / mahi in 2025 while writing a new one. What I am advocating for is something to coalesce industry, citizens, community and government around, a set of clear goals and achievable targets.
The challenges we face
Achieving digital equity in Aotearoa requires addressing deep and interconnected barriers:
1. Poverty and Systemic Inequities
Poverty is a root cause of digital exclusion. For many whānau, putting food on the table takes precedence over purchasing a device or paying for broadband. The digital divide perpetuates inequality, locking people out of education, employment, and essential services.
2. Connectivity and Infrastructure
Many rural and underserved urban areas still lack reliable, affordable broadband. This is especially pronounced in regions where infrastructure investments have lagged. Then we have families who only have access to the internet via the data of a prepaid cellphone.
3. Affordability of Devices and Services
Even when connectivity is available, the cost of devices, software, and internet services is prohibitive for many low-income households.
4. Digital Skills Gap
Access to technology is not enough. Without digital skills, individuals cannot fully participate in education, the workforce, or civic life.
5. Current Economic Conditions
Inflation, rising living costs, and constrained government budgets make rapid investment in digital equity challenging, requiring more strategic, long-term solutions.
I haven’t tackled motivation, trust, security and understanding in the list above which must all be addressed in parallel.
Vision for 2030: A Roadmap for Digital Equity
To achieve digital equity by 2030, we need a comprehensive and achievable plan.
By 2030, every New Zealander should have the connectivity, devices, and digital skills needed to fully participate in society and the economy.
Developing this roadmap in 2025 does not mean delaying action—it means setting a clear direction for coordinated, sustainable efforts that build on the progress already underway.
I’ve been thinking about the key milestones in the roadmap could include:
Affordable, high-speed internet for all by 2028.
Universal access to devices for school-aged children by 2027.
Nationally scaled digital literacy programs by 2026.
There is a role in this for everyone
Everyone reading this blog, whether you’re a digital technology professional, a business leader, an educator, a community member, a policy analyst for Government - you have a role to play in helping achieve digital equity:
volunteer your time - come talk to the DECA team or the team at IT Professionals - who will be able to connect you with community groups and NGO’s who need help
advocacy and amplifying these messages - with government Ministers, with corporates and business leaders
donate your unused devices to support low-income whānau - again talk to the DECA team
donate money (if you can afford it) to NGO’s who are struggling to gain access to finding for this mahi
The main thing you can do over the holiday break is raise awareness, 20% of New Zealanders are on the other side of the digital divide, this is constraining our economy and abilty to thrive as a nation. Talk about it with your friends over a BBQ, if we raise awareness our industry will become stronger.
Yes the Government has a role to play
But we all need to get involved to achieve these milestone goals. Nicola Wills recently stated in a select committee “…..A joined-up approach by government, changing the way that government commissions and funds. Devolution down to the people and communities who best understand our vulnerable citizens. That will be an NGO or an IWI, it won’t be government policy analysts on the 6th floor of The Terrace.” Read my Bring it on blog here.
So as you all strike up your new years resolution how about joining the quest to close the digital divide in Aotearoa by 2030.
