The Braxton County Digital Equity Steering Committee, in partnership with Generation West Virginia (GWV) is pleased to announce the completion of the Braxton County digital equity plan. This plan equips local stakeholders with resources and tools to address gaps in broadband access and improve digital literacy in their communities.
The Braxton County Digital Equity Plan provides a comprehensive look at the digital divide in Braxton county and a guide for expanding digital inclusion programs and applying for state and federal funding. A key opportunity will be Digital Equity Subgrants, which are expected to be available through the West Virginia Office of Broadband in early 2025.
According to the plan, 23.6% of households in the county report having no broadband subscription at all highlighting the baseline lack of internet access. However, with 16.2% of the population reporting no device access at all and 34.43% of county residents living at or below 150% of the national poverty threshold, infrastructure alone does not paint the full picture. The Braxton County Digital Equity plan explores the barriers and challenges of county residents and potential solutions to address the digital divide. Efforts to address these disparities can have a significant impact on the local economy, community, and the ability of residents to safely and adequately access the opportunities offered by the digital world.
This work was made possible through funding by the Appalachian Regional Commission (ARC) through the Connect Humanity Appalachia Digital Accelerator project. Partners in this project include the West Virginia Department of Economic Development Office of Broadband Digital Equity Team, local Digital Equity Steering Committees, and Regional Optical Communications.
These efforts come as the West Virginia Office of Broadband is preparing to allocate $1.2 billion in federal funding toward broadband infrastructure. These efforts are critical to ensure that residents and communities have the resources in place to allow residents to take advantage of broadband infrastructure as it is built out. The Braxton Digital Equity plan and a two-page fact sheet is available at generationwv.org/digital-equity.
Generation West Virginia has resources to help work with Braxton County stakeholders to help plan and carry out the activities in their plans. This includes providing continued technical assistance and grant writing support. Interested stakeholders can find more at www.generationwv.org.
Devoted to Braxton County, West Virginia