The Mass Broadband Institute (MBI) has announced the Municipal Digital Equity Planning Program to enable municipalities, or other local bodies of government, to engage in planning activities related to digital equity and bridging the digital divide.

The Massachusetts Healthy Aging Collaborative encourages communities working to become age- and dementia friendly, councils on aging, and other local stakeholders engaged in promoting inclusive healthy aging activities to work with their municipal government on this program.

The ability to engage in digital equity planning activities will be a critical step for municipal leaders and staff to build a broad understanding of how internet access, or lack thereof, affects residents of their community.

According to MBI, these planning activities will result in strategic documents designed to identify the community’s needs, interest, and key assets and provide a framework that will guide future municipal decision-making and potential investments and activities that will increase access and usage of the internet for the populations most impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic.

More information on the program is available here.