CUB Digs “DEAP” for Digital Inclusion
Posted on December 11, 2015 by Samuel Pastrick
Tags, Telecommunications
CUB has joined, and often times led, numerous efforts over the years to improve telecommunications service equity in Oregon. Take, for example, our CUB Connects project. Not only was it the first of its kind in the state – it laid the groundwork for CUB to take additional steps to build a more holistic program around telecom service-equity issues as they unfold.
In this same vein, CUB was pleased to join leaders from the City of Portland’s Office for Community Technology, Multnomah County Library, Mount Hood Cable Regulatory Commission, as well as many other community-based and public organizations, to devise a Digital Equity Action Plan (DEAP) for Multnomah County.
The initial strategic planning process took the form of three half-day workshops, held once monthly from October through the first week of December, and relied heavily on some of the most current research available on the topic of digital equity (namely, the August 2015 Digital Equity Needs and Opportunities Report, and the 2014 City of Portland Broadband Adoption Report).
With the culmination of the third and final workshop last Friday (December 4), the working group identified an overarching goal to secure digital inclusion for all who desire it. The group also identified five core “focus areas” and key “objectives” to address within each area. Community stakeholders, representing area non-profits like CUB, a range of public entities, and even private corporations like Google Fiber have committed (at least in some way) their time, energy, and resources to move the plan forward.
The next step is to better define agency roles and secure commitments on a more detailed timeline. An official Strategic Planning document is currently in the making, and is set for public release sometime early next year.
CUB anticipates (and is very excited for) continued involvement in this process, and will update members and followers alike as our role is more clearly defined.
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09/05/22 | 0 Comments | CUB Digs “DEAP” for Digital Inclusion