ACP makes the internet accessible and affordable for Latino families nationwide.
ACP Para Mi. Published 2014. Accessed July 28, 2022. https://www.acpparami.org/mainmenu
Month: July 2022
Venmo, PayPal, Instagram – how do they apply to a small rural flower business and the need for high speed internet?
They are the necessary tools for a ‘you-pick’ flower farm located in Barnardsville, NC; complete with fifth generation high speed cellular broadband.
A Never Ending Flower Farm Vase
the Never Ending Flower Farm
You will want dependable broadband to maintain driving directions getting to Barnardsville from Asheville, NC!
Digital Payment Accepted
Located a the top of a single lane dirt road is a large parking lot with a self-service stand, complete with black and white instructions :
- Payment fee for flower fees: $25 / vase, $75 bucket, $5 selfie (honor system).
- Venmo QR code for payment (cash and other online payments are accepted too).
- How to properly cut your flowers.
Faster than a gunslinger, my 25 year-old daughter had her smartphone ready to aim and Venmo pay the fee to get a vase of flowers.
Cellular Speed Test Results
Running a speed test app on my smartphone, running VPN, on a mountain side in Barnardsville:
- 151 Mbps upload
- 16 Mbps download
- 0.00% packet loss
Instagram Photo Marketing
@theneverendingflowerfarm
Visit the ‘Never Ending Flower Farm’ on Instagram and you will see the amazing world of on-line marketing with photography.
Google Map Directions
Locate this retail greenhouse and ‘self-pick’ flower business on Google Maps at:
https://goo.gl/maps/dRTMWH6pZ7xV6zrY8
Does you small business have sufficient broadband service to support your online tools?
https://www.theneverendingflowerfarm.com/
We want to hear your story. Email info@wncbroadband.org with you details.
Digital citizenship is the safe and responsible practice of using digital technologies.
All people who interact with digital technologies are digital citizens, however, responsible digital citizens are those who understand the potential risks and issues that can arise when using technology (LillyWhite, 2021).
Responsible digital citizens desire to use technology respectfully, safely, and productively.
9 Focus Areas of Digital Citizenship
Digital citizenship has been divided into nine key focus areas which include:
- Digital access
- Digital etiquette
- Digital law
- Digital communication
- Digital literacy
- Digital commerce
- Digital rights and responsibilities
- Digital safety and security
- Digital health and wellness
Who is your Western North Carolina steward of digital citizenship? Email info@wncbroadband.org.
Palkki D. Is it time to double down on digital citizenship training? eSchool News. Published July 11, 2022. Accessed July 19, 2022. https://www.eschoolnews.com/2022/07/11/double-down-on-digital-citizenship-training/
For Asheville community members looking to cool off without getting wet, all Asheville Parks & Recreation community centers feature air conditioning and WiFi access.
Asheville, NC Government
Asheville Community Centers
The community centers and their hours of operations are linked below.
https://www.ashevillenc.gov/department/parks-recreation/community-centers/
Miller, Kim. 2022. “Community Members Can Stay Cool at Asheville Parks & Recreation’s Free Water Events – the City of Asheville.” The City of Asheville. July 15, 2022. https://www.ashevillenc.gov/news/community-members-can-stay-cool-at-asheville-parks-recreations-free-water-events/.
Microsoft released a new interactive data analytics tool to help identify places in the United States with significant digital equity gaps.
https://blogs.microsoft.com/on-the-issues/2022/07/14/digital-inequity-dashboard-broadband-access/
Created by Microsoft’s AI for Good Lab and in the spirit of leaning deep into data to help solve hard problems, the dashboard creates one of the most complete pictures of digital equity in the United States to date.
Note I could not get the map to appear in the Google Chrome web browser, so I had to open the above link in the Microsoft Edge web browsers.
Thanks to DigitalInclusion.org and Ryan Palmer, Global Digital Equity Strategist, of Microsoft Airband; for sharing this valuable resource.
Please email info@wncbroadband.org if you would like to share thoughts or comments to the WNC Broadband leadership team about the data in your census tract.
A street-by-street view of digital inequity in the United States – Microsoft On the Issues. Microsoft On the Issues. Published July 14, 2022. Accessed July 15, 2022. https://blogs.microsoft.com/on-the-issues/2022/07/14/digital-inequity-dashboard-broadband-access/
“Who Needs the FCC? Microsoft Moves on Broadband Maps.” 2022. Telecompetitor.com. July 14, 2022. https://www.telecompetitor.com/who-needs-the-fcc-microsoft-moves-on-broadband-maps/.
Hardesty, Linda. 2022. “Microsoft Tires of Waiting on FCC, Creates Its Own Broadband Mapping Tool.” Fierce Telecom. July 14, 2022. https://www.fiercetelecom.com/broadband/microsoft-tires-waiting-fcc-creates-its-own-broadband-mapping-tool.
What is the status of federal digital equity funding and how does it relate to the State of North Carolina?
“Story Map Series.” 2022. Census.gov. 2022. https://mtgis-portal.geo.census.gov/arcgis/apps/MapSeries/index.html?appid=a0013a9dcbb9419e855f563d78e892ef.
US Census Bureau. 2022. “Partnership with National Telecommunications and Information Administration.” Census.gov. May 19, 2022. https://www.census.gov/programs-surveys/community-resilience-estimates/partnerships/ntia.html.
Internet service in Western North Carolina has some competition. This competition can save you money.
CNET suggests 5 steps to help you negotiate with your ISP and potentially save money.
- Research your options for your area.
- What type of internet user are you?
- What level of service do you need?
- Benchmark by speed testing your service.
- Can you get mobile service included?
- How about access to Wi-Fi hotspots?
- Know to the competitive options.
- Inquire with ISPs’ websites regularly for any new updates or offers.
- Try, try again.
Affordable Connectivity Program (ACP)
The Affordable Connectivity Program is an FCC benefit program that helps ensure that households can afford the broadband they need for work, school, healthcare and more.
The benefit provides a discount of up to $30 per month toward internet service for eligible households and up to $75 per month for households on qualifying Tribal lands.
Eligible households can also receive a one-time discount of up to $100 to purchase a laptop, desktop computer, or tablet from participating providers if they contribute more than $10 and less than $50 toward the purchase price.
The Affordable Connectivity Program is limited to one monthly service discount and one device discount per household.
Visit the FCC ACP Webpage for more details.
Do you need assistance with understanding ‘internet service?’ Email or call your WNC Digital Literacy Network at help@diglit.net or call 828-365-8299.
Paul T. 5 Steps to Help You Negotiate With Your Provider and Save Money on Your Internet Service. CNET. Published June 29, 2022. Accessed July 2, 2022. https://www.cnet.com/home/internet/negotiate-with-your-internet-service-provider-and-save-money/