Let me tell you a story about a highway. A few years ago, a major interstate expansion added two lanes through a part of town that had been underserved for decades. Politicians cut the ribbon. News cameras showed up. The highway was beautiful — smooth asphalt, new signage, modern interchanges.
But the on-ramps never got built. The exits led to the same surface streets that were there before. Traffic flowed through the neighborhood faster than ever, but the people living there couldn't get on the road.
That highway is a metaphor for what's happening right now with broadband in Southern Dallas.
40.3%
of Southern Dallas focus households lack home internet
68% of Black adults have home broadband vs 83% of White adults. 19% of Black adults are smartphone-dependent — no home connection at all.
The Infrastructure Money Is Coming
Twenty-seven point eight million dollars in ARPA funding was awarded to Zayo for middle-mile fiber infrastructure in Dallas County. The City of Dallas received an $11.1 million NTIA grant to close the digital divide. These are real investments with real timelines.
The Dallas County Judge said that if Southern Dallas were its own city, it would be one of the 10 least connected cities in the country. There are roughly 24,000 households in Dallas County without home internet, and the overwhelming majority are concentrated in Southern Dallas.
That's not just an inconvenience. In 2026, no home internet means no online job applications, no telehealth appointments, no homework completion, no access to AI tools that could increase earning potential by 56 percent. It means the digital economy passes you by because you can't get on the highway.
But Wires Alone Don't Close the Gap
Here's what I've learned working with seniors, small business owners, and parents in DeSoto and the surrounding communities: having internet access and knowing how to use it productively are two completely different things.
I teach Computer Basics 101 for adults 45 and older. These are people who showed up ready to learn. They have smartphones. Some have laptops. But nobody ever showed them how to organize their files, spot a phishing email, or use a search engine effectively. The infrastructure was there. The on-ramp was missing.
The same dynamic plays out with AI tools. Black Americans are actually more familiar with AI than the general population — 83 percent versus 75 percent, according to a Jobs for the Future survey. And 53 percent use AI tools daily or weekly, compared to 39 percent of the overall population. The interest and adoption are there.
But without structured training that meets people where they are — without classes that go slow, answer every question, and don't assume prior knowledge — the gap between having access and using it productively will persist.
What Works
I've seen what happens when you close that gap. A senior who was afraid to touch her computer now emails her grandchildren and manages her prescriptions online. A small business owner who was spending 10 hours a week on social media now does it in 90 minutes with AI assistance. A single mom who thought tech was "for other people" built a website for her side hustle in one afternoon.
These aren't edge cases. They're the normal result of showing up, being patient, and teaching at the right pace.
The research backs this up. Workers with AI skills command a 56 percent wage premium. Each new tech job creates 4.4 additional positions in local service sectors. At 30 percent AI literacy in Southern Dallas, the projected wealth gain is transformative — not incremental, transformative.
But none of that happens if we celebrate the fiber installation and forget the training.
“Broadband without digital literacy training is like building a highway with no on-ramps.”
Two Things You Can Do Right Now
If you're reading this and wondering where you or your family member fits into this picture, here are two concrete steps.
1. Take Computer Basics 101. It's a live, small-group Zoom class held every few weeks. Two hours. No jargon. You can ask any question without feeling embarrassed. The next session is $88 and includes a cheat sheet you keep forever. Register here.
2. Book Your First AI Session. If you own a business and you're ready to see what AI can actually do for your specific situation, book a 45-minute session. You'll walk away with three custom AI tools built for your business. It's $47. Book here.
The fiber is coming. The data centers are being built. The jobs are being posted. The only thing missing is the on-ramp. Let's build it together.