A grant of $30,000 has been awarded to Bradley, Walker and Whitfield counties from Connect Humanity, a nonprofit impact fund, to participate in the Appalachian Digital Accelerator, an initiative that supports communities as they create custom connectivity plans: roadmaps for improving internet connectivity that leads to new economic opportunities and healthier communities.
The timing of the Appalachian Digital Accelerator program is momentous, said officials. As of February, all states have a plan to address digital equity: the condition in which all individuals and communities have the information technology capacity needed for full participation in society.
By planning internet connectivity at the municipal and county levels, local communities will have a strategy to connect with state and federal resources, such as the Broadband Equity Access and Deployment Program, that will come available for implementation later this year.
To implement the program in the tri-state greater Chattanooga region, Thrive Regional Partnership has partnered with Connect Humanity to provide project management and technical support to Bradley, Walker, and Whitfield counties as they create holistic connectivity plans that meet their broadband goals and prepare them for next-generation broadband networks.
“We are on a mission to ensure that residents of the tri-state have meaningful access to the internet to support their livelihoods and wellbeing,” said Shannon Millsaps, chief operating officer of Thrive Regional Partnership. “With broadband deployment funds expected this fall, we are energized by this opportunity to partner with local communities across the region to address infrastructure challenges, affordability barriers, and digital skills gaps across the region.”
The counties were chosen by Connect Humanity, using following criteria, which guided the competitive selection process of 50 Appalachian communities: community leadership, financial capacity to manage a federal grant, and connectivity needs of the area.
This work is supported by a subaward from the Appalachian Regional Commission, led by Connect Humanity.