Bridging the Digital Divide
Digital Equity and Community Education
The Waldo Broadband Corporation (WBC) Digital Equity Committee could not have adopted this plan without the expert guidance and thought leadership of the National Digital Equity Center (NDEC). Starting with NDEC’s plan template and detailed data collection, the WBC Digital Equity Committee carefully reviewed initial drafts and incorporated WBC-specific characteristics and to yield a draft that reflects both the NDEC’s expertise and local priorities.
As the WBC Digital Equity Committee became engaged in the Digital Equity planning process, there were two questions that they considered – “What is important to you as you think about digital equity?” and “What do you hope to achieve?” Collectively, the committee identified the following:
To advocate for all residents to have access to affordable, reliable high-speed internet for rural Mainers; this allows our residents opportunities for work, education, and telemedicine while living the lifestyle they desire
To assist in providing solutions for routers for subscribers who need help purchasing
To assist in providing solutions for low-cost devices to residents that demonstrate a need
To assist in providing solutions for low-cost internet to those who cannot afford it
To assist in providing free digital skills training resources for residents
To help residents embrace technology and still maintain our quality of place
This draft is a living document intended to frame a long-term effort to bridge the digital divide in our communities and will be posted on WBC’s website. The committee intends to engage our townsfolk in an ongoing conversation about the strategies and tactics employed to bridge the digital divide. We fully expect those conversations to help us understand what works and what does not – and to update this plan accordingly
