Connecting in Crisis: Digital Inclusion Information Exchange
PAGE NAVIGATION: Community Solutions | Digital Inclusion Resouces | Federal and State Policy News | Related News | BAND-NC
COVID-19 is exposing the digital divide in North Carolina, and its consequences for all of us. At a time when we need to be more connected than ever, students and adults who can’t connect, don’t have a computer or laptop or don’t know how to use them, work at an impossible disadvantage.
Digital Inclusion – creating opportunities for people to access affordable internet, computers, and laptops, and digital literacy – is more important than ever.
As an extension of our work on the ReCONNECT to Technological Opportunity Emerging Issues Forum and in response to COVID-19, IEI is creating a digital inclusion resource hub. This resource hub will provide the latest digital inclusion news and will highlight community solutions and promising practices from across the state and beyond. You will also find policy, and community responses to the digital divide in the wake of COVID-19.
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Community Solutions
Highlighting community solutions and promising practices from across the state and beyond.
Train and Computer Stations: Rural Digital Strategies
For a world that’s gone virtual, large parts rural North Carolina still remains digitally unconnected. The expense and challenges of bringing high-speed broadband “the last...
MCNC and Facebook Expand Access in Western North Carolina
In January 2020, MCNC, the non-profit operator of the North Carolina Research and Education Network (NCREN)and Facebook announced a collaboration to make high-speed broadband available...
How to Move Mountains to High Speed
While the public health crisis of COVID demands flexibility and workarounds, students who don’t have access to high speed broadband have been one of the...
Digital Inclusion Resources
We have compiled a list of key resources to help communities, businesses, organizations, and individuals access important information during this time. Resources include maps of where to find free or low-cost internet service, toolkits to create a digital inclusion project or coalition, organizations providing free or low-cost devices, etc., as well as new research.
Federal and State Policy News
FCC’s Rural Digital Opportunity Fund
The Federal Communications Commission’s Rural Digital Opportunity Fund (RDOF) provides $20.4 billion of support, over 10 years, to subsidize the construction of broadband infrastructure in...
NC Broadband Bills to Watch (HB 1228)
The NC General Assembly is considering several bills that would increase broadband infrastructure across the state. The Satellite Broadband Grants (HB 1228) was introduced in the House on...
NC Broadband Bills to Watch (HB 1122)
The NC General Assembly is considering several bills that would increase broadband infrastructure across the state. The Provide Affordable Broadband Access to NC (HB 1122) was...
Read more policy news
Related News
Key Takeaways from May 19th Broadband and Beyond Webinar: Telehealth in Response to COVID-19
IEI is partnering with the Roanoke Electric Cooperative on a series of three “Broadband and Beyond” webinars which aim to educate and provide resources about...
A Growing Achievement Gap
The National Assessment of Educational Progress states that the achievement gap occurs “when one group of students (such as students grouped by race/ethnicity, gender) outperforms...
Key Takeaways from May 12th Broadband and Beyond Webinar: Public WiFi – Challenges and Opportunities
IEI is partnering with the Roanoke Electric Cooperative on a series of three “Broadband and Beyond” webinars which aim to educate and provide resources about...
BAND-NC
What’s it going to take to increase the percentage of people in each NC county – children and adults – who are able to use broadband to work, learn and play? Check out BAND-NC.