Digital Inclusion Resource Hub
Digital Inclusion Planning Resources
Planning Guides
BAND-NC Digital Inclusion Planning Guide
NC DIT’s Digital Inclusion Template & Guide
NDIA Digital Inclusion Coalition Guidebook
Completed North Carolina Plans
North Carolina Digital Equity Plan – Released April 2024
Literature Review of NC Digital Inclusion Plans – Last updated August 2023
By Council of Government
- Albemarle Commission
- Cape Fear Council of Governments
- Centralina Regional Councils
- Central Pines Council of Governments
- Eastern Carolina Council of Governments
- High Country Council of Governments
- Isothermal Regional Commission
- Land-of-Sky Regional Council
- Lumber River Council of Governments
- Piedmont Triad Council of Governments
- Southwestern Commission
- Upper Coastal Plain Council of Governments
- Western Piedmont Council of Governments
Active Surveys
North Carolina Broadband Survey
View the survey. Designed to gather information on locations (households and businesses) in the state without adequate internet access and speeds.
- For Homes & Businesses with Internet Service: take the survey online
- For Homes & Businesses without Internet Service, take the survey by phone:
- Text “internet” to 919-750-0553
- OR call 919-750-0553
Asset Inventory Survey
For organizations, businesses, and groups, this survey collects information about all organizations offering services that help people get online across the state. Initially created to inform NC’s Digital Inclusion Plan and will remain open to continue to compile assets and add them to a database.
Digital Equity Survey
For individuals, this survey collects information on the accessibility and affordability of digital devices and the internet as well as people’s digital skills. Initially created to inform NC’s Digital Inclusion Plan. This survey will remain open for the remainder of 2024 to support regional digital inclusion planning efforts.
Paper surveys to print:
- English Digital Equity Survey
- Spanish Digital Equity Survey
- Contact Erin Huggins for additional languages and questions – Phone: (919) 513-8500 / eshuggin@ncsu.edu
Mail paper surveys directly to:
The Friday Institute
Attn: Erin Huggins
1890 Main Campus Dr, Raleigh, NC 27606
Data Sources
NC One Map
NC One Map: Includes maps on broadband funding and grants, broadband adoption and availability index, NC Broadband Survey, and more. All data is available to download.
NC Asset Inventory
NC Asset Inventory: Current list of organizations offering services that help people get online across the state. This spreadsheet will be turned into a searchable database in summer 2024.
Digital Equity Survey Dashboard
Digital Equity Survey Dashboard: Results from the statewide Digital Equity Survey, sortable by county, demographics, and more. If you need a particular dataset from this survey, contact Erin Huggins with the Friday Institute at eshuggin@ncsu.edu.
Digital Equity Dashboard
Digital Equity Dashboard: View at the county level access to devices based on data from the US Census American Community Survey.
County and Regional Digital Inclusion Profiles
County and Regional Digital Inclusion Profiles: These profiles were created by Roberto Gallardo, Ph.D. using 2017-2021 Census Five-Year American Community Survey data and Ookla speed test data as a measure of broadband availability. The profiles are formatted in PowerPoint by County or Council of Government region.
NC State’s Friday Institute of Educational Innovation Literature Review of Digital Literacy and Equity
This comprehensive analysis of digital literacy and equity resources, articles, and data sets provides an important overview for creating a digital inclusion plan.
Statewide Listening Session Policy Briefs
Statewide Listening Session Policy Briefs: Important listening sessions were conducted across the state in order to inform NC’s digital equity plan. Careful attention was paid to make sure the sessions were hosted in geographically diverse areas, with residents representing one or more of NC’s priority populations.
FCC National Broadband Map
FCC National Broadband Map: Search for Broadband availability by address or provider. Download broadband data and make challenges to the map.
Covered Population Data Sources
“Covered populations” are specific groups defined by the National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) as having specific digital equity needs and barriers per the Digital Equity Act.
Covered population groups: Aging individuals, Incarcerated individuals or those in re-entry, Individuals who are members of a racial or ethnic minority group, Individuals who live in low-income households, Individuals who primarily reside in a rural area, Individuals with a language barrier, including individuals who are English learners, Individuals with low levels of literacy, Individuals with disabilities, Veterans as well as Individuals who identify as LGBTQIA+ and Students/Youth.
- The Census and Census American Community Survey (ACS) data includes demographic information like age, race, ethnicity, household income, veteran status, and more.
- Fact Sheets on Covered Population compiled by NC State’s Friday Institute for Educational Innovation from digital equity survey and focus groups.
- Aging Individuals Fact Sheet
- Formerly Incarcerated Individuals Fact Sheet
- Veterans Fact Sheet
- Individuals with Disabilities Fact Sheet
- Racial & Ethnic Minorities Fact Sheet
- Rural Residents Fact Sheet
- Individuals with a Language Barrier/English Language Learners Fact Sheet
- Individuals with Low Levels of Literacy Fact Sheet
- Low-Income Households Fact Sheet
BAND-NC Webinars and Workshops
Digital Inclusion Planning
Data Deep Dive: Accessing Data for Digital Inclusion Planning
Planning Digital Inclusion: Device Distribution & Digital Skills
Processing Digital Inclusion: Equity and Broadband Adoption
Presenting Digital Inclusion: Getting Your Community Started on a Digital Inclusion Plan
Broadband and Digital Inclusion Funding Programs
NC DIT Office of Digital Equity and Literacy: Digital Equity Grant
Digital Equity Grant – State Government Entities
- East Carolina University, College of Health and Human Performance: Training community health workers across the 29-county eastern NC subregion to provide digital literacy and skills training sessions and partner with libraries to deploy computing devices, hotspots and rugged internet hubs.
- Contact: Leslie Cofie (cofiel18@ecu.edu) & Alice Richman (richmana@ecu.edu)
- NC Business Committee for Education, Inc. & NC Hometown Strong: Expanding technology teams to provide free training and paid experience to high school students who can provide technical training for adults and peers and help desk support to their schools and communities.
- Contact: Samantha Saunders (sam.saunders@hts.nc.gov)
- NC Community College System: Promoting digital inclusion to ensure economic mobility and civic participation for students at NC community colleges affected by the digital divide by deploying trained digital navigators at 20 community colleges serving Tier 1 and 2 counties.
- Contact: Dr. Doris Carver (carverd_tmp@nccommunitycolleges.edu)
- NC Cooperative Extension: Agents will be trained to incorporate digital literacy and skills education into their current programming. These digital equity workers will be equipped with a mobile training computer classroom.
- Contact: Kenny Sherin (kenneth_sherin@ncsu.edu)
- NC Department of Adult Correction, Education Services: Upfitting classrooms in prison facilities with computer labs and devices and increasing digital literacy amongst incarcerated individuals enrolled in education services.
- Contact: Dr. Brooke Wheeler (brooke.wheeler@dac.nc.gov)
- NC Department of Health and Human Services, Division of Aging and Adult Services: Training and supporting digital navigators to serve the digital needs of older adults in all 100 counties.
- Contact: Jessalyn Bridges (jessalyn.bridges@dhhs.nc.gov) and Rebecca Freeman (rebecca.freeman@dhhs.nc.gov)
- NC Department of Health and Human Services, Office of Rural Health: Implementing a train-the-trainer digital skills and health language program for rural communities across the state, providing technical and capacity-building support for organizations, and increasing access to affordable internet in migrant housing.
- Contact: Courtney Moore (courtney.moore@dhhs.nc.gov) and Mira Sampath (mira.sampath@dhhs.nc.gov)
- NC Department of Transportation, Office of Civil Rights: Providing job-specific digital skills training and devices for individuals enrolled in NC Dept. of Transportation workforce trainings.
- Contact: Lisa Wilson (lhwilson1@ncdot.gov)
- NC Division of Historic Sites and Properties: Increasing the availability of online content and continuing to provide visitors with reliable high-speed internet service.
- Contact: Kimberly Kandros (kimberly.kandros@dncr.nc.gov)
- State Library of NC: Providing digital navigation services at libraries by hiring regional Digital Inclusion Facilitators and a Digital Inclusion Coordinator to assist participating public and tribal libraries statewide with Digital Navigation.
- Contact: Lori Special (lori.special@dncr.nc.gov)
NC DIT Office of Digital Equity and Literacy: Digital Champion Grant
Digital Champion Grant (Awarded June 2024)
National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA): Connecting Minority Communities Program (CMC) Grant
Connecting Minority Communities Program (CMC) Grant: Funds Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs), Tribal Colleges and Universities (TCUs), and Minority-Serving Institutions (MSIs) to purchase broadband internet access service and eligible equipment or to hire and train information technology personnel.
NC DIT: Growing Rural Economies with Access to Technology (GREAT) Grant
Growing Rural Economies with Access to Technology (GREAT) Grant: Funds the deployment of broadband within unserved areas of economically distressed counties.
NC DIT: Broadband Equity, Access, and Deployment (BEAD) Program
Broadband Equity, Access, and Deployment (BEAD) Program: Federal funds from National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) for expanding broadband access across North Carolina homes and businesses.
- Summer 2024: subgrantee selection process for ISPs
- Fall 2024: challenge process for which locations are eligible for funding
NC DIT: Broadband Pole Replacement Program
Broadband Pole Replacement Program: Program to quickly facilitate the deployment of broadband service to households, businesses, agricultural operations and community anchor institutions in areas unserved with broadband.
Applications accepted on a rolling basis.
NC DIT: Completing Access to Broadband (CAB) Program
Completing Access to Broadband (CAB) Program: Provides an opportunity for individual NC counties to partner with NCDIT to fund broadband deployment projects in unserved areas of each county.
NC DIT: Stop-Gap Solutions
Stop-Gap Solutions: Program requirements are currently under development.
Timeline of NC DIT Broadband Funding
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What’s Missing?
Contact Jess Epsten with resources to add: