The Broadband Equity, Access, and Deployment (BEAD) Program will provide $271,977,723 to Maine over the next five years, according to a recent announcement from the National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA). & It removes all obstacles that prevent individuals from fully utilizing high-speed internet. Planning, infrastructure deployment, and adoption programs are funded by the program, which increases access to high-speed internet.
Communities can implement a Digital Equity and Digital Inclusion Plan to address internet utilization. All people and communities must have access to information technology in order to fully participate in our democracy, economy, and society. This is known as digital equity. Access to vital services, employment, lifelong learning, and civic and cultural engagement all depend on digital equity.
A Digital Inclusion Plan that includes deliberate strategies and investments to reduce and eliminate historical, institutional, and structural barriers to access and technology use is necessary for the Penobscot County Broadband Consortium region to achieve Digital Equity. As technology advances, digital inclusion tactics, plans, and financial commitments must also change.
