Digital Inclusion
Digital Inclusion
Access to the internet, digital devices and digital literacy are key to bridging the digital divide and opening doors to economic, educational and health care opportunities. At NTCA, we provide members with the tools for digital inclusion efforts to reach those who are having difficulties adopting broadband. In addition, NTCA is an active participant at the FCC’s CEDC Diversity and Equity Working Group.
NTCA SMART Tools for Digital Inclusion
The Broadband Equity, Access and Deployment (BEAD) Program created through the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act of 2021 (IIJA) stipulates that states “cannot have a Five-Year Action Plan that does not address digital equity.”
NTCA created SMART Tools for Digital Inclusion to assist rural broadband providers and state broadband offices in the development of their Digital Equity Plans. It includes examples of needs assessments, asset inventories and community action plans as well as examples of successful initiatives NTCA members have undertaken to make broadband accessible to their communities.
Download SMART Tools for Digital Inclusion here.
View appendices for the toolkit here.
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Additional NTCA Resources
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Smart Rural Community: Rural Imperatives in Broadband Adoption and Digital Inclusion
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Educational Resources
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- FCC’s Affordable Connectivity Program Consumer Outreach Toolkit
- National Digital Inclusion Alliance (NDIA) and Microsoft State Digital Equity Scorecard
- The National Telecommunications and Information Administration, BroadbandbandUSA Digital Inclusion Resources
- The International Telecommunication Union Digital Literacy Toolkit