Category: Community Development

Categories
Asheville Community Development Digital Divide Digital Equity Digital Inclusion

Virtual and Broadband

Virtual Demands Broadband

Today many tools are available hold ‘virtual events.’ Google Meet, Zoom, WebEx and others provide software for anybody to broadcast their virtual event.

The Asheville Chamber of Commerce’s WNC Career Expo – Virtual Job Fair was held Wednesday, October 14th through Friday, October 16th with dozens of employers and hundreds of job seekers. The virtual ‘Main Floor’ job fair was divided into employers with job opportunities and ‘Employment and Training’ representation; including Asheville 50+ Works. With this virtual online-event, those that have high-speed internet or broadband; job seeking is enabled virtually.

Businesses, individuals, and community groups can post broadband-heavy content including:

  • Company Profile
  • Videos
  • Downloads
  • Links
  • Social networks
  • Banners
  • Posters
  • Webcasts
Easy Virtual Fair screenshot
Easy Virtual Fair – Asheville Chamber of Commerce’s virtual job fair software

As part of Asheville 50+ Works (the Experienced Workforce Initative of WNC) hosted a couple of virtual webcasts, including a ‘Google Tools for Job Search Productivity – the more you know Google, the better you get.’

Video recording of Marc’s virtual webcast held during the WNC Career Expo.

Businesses, communities, educational institutions, non-profits, individuals, entrepreneurs, and more depend on the internet to have an online presence. Broadband is the high speed internet framework.

Content needs to be deployed and consumed. Both require growing appetites for broadband; especially has 4K+ video resolution becomes more prevalent .

Is WNC ready for the growing economic need for broadband?

Advocate for fiber, a timeless investment for our future. Fiber optics are the foundation for our terrestrial and wireless WNC future.

Categories
Affordability Broadband in WNC Community Development Digital Divide Digital Equity Digital Inclusion

Digital Alliance for our Nation

digital inclusion

Angela Siefer, Executive Director of the National Digital Inclusion Alliance (NDIA) speaks for our nation on digital opportunities. Her message provided to congress earlier this year:

  • Residential internet service in the US is expensive.
  • Analytic reporting of the cost of service throughout the nation are not available. We need the FCC to gather this data and make it publicly available.
  • In the US digital training is undervalued and underfunded.
    • 1/3 of manufacturing workers lack proficient digital skills
    • 1/2 of all construction, transportation, and storage workers lack proficient digital skills
    • No dedicated funding is available towards digital training in the US

Local governments, libraries, non-profits have been left to piece-together to needed recourses to address the basic digital skills training. Piecing together is the wrong strategy for a strong workforce.

Angela Siefer, Executive Director, National Digital Inclusion Alliance

Digital Stewardship

Our Western North Carolina communities need to continue to provide and grow:

  • Guidance to low income parents on how to connect to their children’s teachers.
  • Leadership for seniors on how to use electronic communication and telehealth.
  • Help Veterans and disadvantaged individuals with digital skills for employment.
  • Support the State of North Carolina in developing digital equity.

Digital Equity

Digital equity refers to whether people can access and effectively use the technology necessary to participate in modern society. Digital equity planning is the opportunity for the rural areas of North Carolina as Representative Jake Johnson discusses.

Support the WNC Broadband Project’s goals to advocate, educate, and engage our communities in the needed awareness of these digital opportunities.

Also See

Reverend Louis Grant talk about digital inclusion in WNC.

Kenneth Merritt discuss digital inclusion in Asheville.

Categories
Asheville Broadband access Broadband in WNC Community Development Digital Equity Digital Inclusion

Make Internet Available

Digital Inclusion, Digital Equity

Digital Inclusion Week (DIW) aims to raise awareness of solutions addressing home internet access, personal devices, and local technology training and support programs.

DIW2020 is sponsored by the National Digital Inclusion Alliance representing more than 450 affiliated organizations in 44 states working toward digital equity.

Kenneth Merritt – “number one is making the internet available for everyone, making it accessible for everyone”

Digital Inclusion

The ability of individuals and groups to access and use information and communication technologies.

Digital Equity

The condition in which all individuals and communities have the information technology capacity needed for full participation in our society, democracy and economy.

Digital equity is necessary for civic and cultural participation, employment lifelong learning, and access to essential services.

Stay Connected

This is the best time in our history of the continental US is that we stay connected. This is this is a time where individuals need to be informed. The internet is a great tool to use to stay informed and you can do it

Kenneth Merritt

Categories
Broadband access Broadband in WNC Community Development Digital Divide Digital Equity Digital Inclusion Economic Development Education

Digital Inclusion Week

Digital Inclusion Week

October 5th Starts DIW

Digital equity refers to whether people can access and effectively use the technology necessary to participate in modern society.

Starting Monday, October 5th; the WNC Broadband Project Team starts contributing to an international event – Digital Inclusion Week or DIW.

DIW aims to raise awareness of solutions addressing home internet access, personal devices, and local technology training and support programs.

DIW2020 is sponsored by the National Digital Inclusion Alliance representing more than 450 affiliated organizations in 44 states working toward digital equity.

Call To Action: Show Your Support

Take our CTA or Call-To-Action and email DigitalInclusion@WNCBroadband.org to share your stories of how, when, where, and why digital inclusion is important to you and your WNC community.

Even better, please let us know if you would engage this topic with us on:

  • Facebook Live
  • Google Meet
  • Instagram
  • Pinterest
  • YouTube Live
  • Zoom
  • Or your preference of a digital inclusion toolset

https://www.govtech.com/civic/The-Quest-for-Digital-Equity.html

#digitalequityNOW #digitalinclusion #DIW2020

Categories
Broadband in WNC Community Development Economic Development Real Estate

Real Estate and Broadband

Real Estate & Broadband

A major determinant on the purchase of real estate is the availability of broadband says Representative Jake Johnson.

Watch the video below to learn more about the correlation of broadband and real estate for residential and economic development in Western North Carolina.

Real estate & broadband

“No reliable internet, the brakes are definitely put on.”

Disclaimers

The WNC Broadband Project aims to support communities interested in ensuring access to reliable, truly high-speed internet service.

It develops tools to empower individuals, communities, and area leaders in advocating effectively for their digital needs.

As a community-supported initiative building on the work of West Next Generation Network (WestNGN), it is not owned or controlled by any affiliate of WestNGN.

The WNC Broadband Project is also not financed by any corporate entity, as such financing would be inconsistent with the Project’s independent community engagement focus.

The views, opinions and products of the WNC Broadband Project are the sole responsibility of the Project team and its advisory board, acting in their personal capacity and not in any capacity related to WestNGN, UNC Asheville, or any other WestNGN affiliate.

Categories
Affordability Community Development Relevancy

Across North Carolina, the barriers — and solutions — to broadband internet access for students and families are multi-layered

Internet access in NC

Digital access requires more than a physical connection.

There are factors of:

  • Affordability
  • Relevancy

A multi-faceted, short-and long-term approach to eliminating the digital divide in Western North Carolina.

Across North Carolina, the barriers — and solutions — to broadband internet access for students and families are multi-layered

Categories
Broadband access Broadband funding Broadband in WNC Community Development Digital Divide Economic Development Education Federal Efforts Rural

A Conversation on Rural Broadband Internet

Bill Sederburg on computer monitor

A panel of broadband experts, including WNC Broadband Project’s Bill Sederburg, discussed how to embark on a program – either on their own or with partners – to implement broadband infrastructure to benefit residents.

Speakers

  • Moe Davis | Democratic Nominee 11th Congressional District
  • Danny Bottoms | Vision Cashiers; Public WiFi Project
  • Mike Hawkins | Transylvania County Board of Commissioners Chair
  • Hunter Goosman | ERC Executive Director/CEO
  • William Sederburg, Phd. | WestNGN Chair

Federal and state policy issues were discussed in the ‘Vote for Moe Davis’ YouTube video link below.

https://youtu.be/mml2kgBprw8

DISCLAIMER: The WNC Broadband Project, a Western North Carolina community group; is not connected with the ‘Vote for Moe Davis’ campaign. We advocate for the non-partisan expansion, education, and inclusion of high speed internet in our WNC communities.

Categories
Broadband access Broadband in WNC Buncombe Community Development Digital Divide Economic Development WiFi

Free Broadband in Buncombe

Free broadband in Buncombe

City of Asheville IT staff is investigating possibilities to provide free broadband in Asheville and Buncombe County.

Free broadband internet would be available in public spots throughout Buncombe County under a proposal by the local government’s information technology department.

“Information Technology staff continue to work with internet providers to explore opportunities for internet connectivity throughout the County (Buncombe Broadband Workgroup) to help those who do not currently have access to high speed internet”

Read More: https://www.citizen-times.com/story/news/local/2020/09/15/buncombe-looks-build-free-broadband-throughout-county/5810639002/

Also See:

Support, educate, advocate for digital inclusion with our WNC Broadband Project Leadership Team.

Categories
Broadband access Broadband in WNC Community Development Economic Development Education

Broadband Vision – NC Congressional Candidate Debate

Facebook Livestream-WNC Broadband

Many thanks for Western Carolina University, Smokey Mountain News, Blue Ridge Public Radio, Mountain Xpress for hosting the NC Congressional candidate debate on September 5th with Republican Party Nominee Maidson Cawthorn, @Cawthorn2020; and Democratic Party Nominee Moe Davis, @MoeDavisforCongress on the Facebook livestream.

https://www.facebook.com/106899724356809/posts/160683622311752/

Yes, #broadband needs to be an essential utility for all.

Categories
Broadband access Community Development

Plan to Vote, Steward Your Neighbor

Vote

If you are reading this blog post, your are likely to have access to the internet. With the next election on November 3, 2020; plan your vote.

Get personalized voting information:
– See What’s On Your Ballot
– Check Your Voter Registration
– Find Your Polling Place
– Discover Upcoming Debates In Your Area

https://www.vote411.org/

Also, please steward your community hubs by assisting with access and knowledge of how to effectively use the internet.

The Western North Carolina Broadband Project Team is advocating for education, telemedicine, and economic opportunities leveraging high speed internet.