The San Antonio Office of Innovation is partnering with Bexar County, The University of Texas at San Antonio and the organization SA Digital Connects to develop a second digital inclusion survey and assessment for 2023.

A news release said this updated assessment will determine the COVID-19 pandemic’s effects and current digital access across the city. It will also build a data set across years and will focus on key population subsets of older adults and small-business owners, the release said.

All Bexar County residents are eligible to complete the survey, which will be available in English and Spanish through April 30, the release said.

District 3 Council Member Phyllis Viagran said local governments and the nonprofit sector must help to bridge the local digital divide and widen people’s access to affordable, reliable internet service and devices.

“Our residents want and need access to reliable internet—we are committed to making this happen in every way we can. As we continue to build out access, the results of this survey will also inform our work in digital literacy resources and services,” Viagran said in a statement.

City officials said the digital inclusion survey online will be distributed across a variety of digital channels, and the survey will be made available in paper format at city of San Antonio senior centers, San Antonio Public Library branches, Bexar County Bibliotechs and at various outreach events.

“We are experiencing a digital transformation in all aspects of our lives. With this survey, we are continuing our commitment to identifying those who are disconnected and ensuring that the data is informing our decision-making,” Chief Innovation Officer Brian Dillard said.

In order to develop an inclusive assessment, the city’s office of innovation is encouraging all residents from the city and Bexar County to respond to the digital divide survey, the release said.

“This survey is an important tool for Bexar County, in this postpandemic era, to help Bexar County to determine where digital inclusion progress has been made and where critical need remains—especially to support the success of our small businesses and improve the quality of life for our seniors,” BiblioTech Director Laura Cole said.