The work of digital equity is to close the digital divide between those who can access the internet and those who can’t. Digital equity is no longer optional. Digital access is necessary to be able to maintain employment, access education, and have financial security. 

Lack of access to the digital world disproportionately affects people of color, Indigenous peoples, households with low incomes, people with disabilities, people living in rural areas, those with limited English or literacy, and older adults.

Digital Equity is a 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. Digital Equity includes not only having the infrastructure (poles and wires) available to your household but also being able to afford to connect to the internet, having a device, and the knowledge, skills, and education to use the internet. Digital equity and inclusion is part of a larger vision for Kennebec County centering on the goals of health, education, and financial stability of its residents.

Kennebec County Digital Equity and Digital Inclusion Plan (PDF)

In the first part of 2023, a group of Kennebec County residents and representatives of nonprofit organizations developed the first iteration of a Digital Equity and Digital Inclusion (DEDI) Plan for Kennebec County. The goal of the Plan is to close the digital divide. This plan was developed in collaboration with Maine Connectivity Authority and National Digital Equity Center to contribute to a statewide Broadband Action Plan. 

This planning process will help identify priorities for investment in broadband and digital equity for each of Maine’s 16 counties and will serve as the state’s five-year roadmap to bring the economic, health, educational, and social benefits of high-speed internet to all people in Maine. 

Elements of Kennebec County’s DEDI Plan include investing in Digital Navigators and Digital Educators, connecting people to affordable devices, increasing the supply of loan-able hotspots from area libraries, and helping people learn about and sign up for the Affordable Connectivity Program. We want to create a strong ethic for digital equity in Kennebec County by offering an array of resources that people need to be digitally connected as determined by input from a variety of sectors and interested organizations and individuals. This initial plan is just the beginning. We will continue to gather information, track resources already in place, and implement programs as funding becomes available. 

Please contact Hildie Lipson if you want more information on joining the Kennebec County Digital Equity Working Group to help make recommendations, and help continue to refine, and implement the DEDI plan for the Waterville/Augusta/Gardiner corridor and area towns. 

Read the report. Your comments are welcomed.