The Wake County Digital Inclusion Plan is now live! Thanks to robust community participation, Wake County has developed a plan that outlines strategies to bridge the digital divide and achieve equitable access for all residents. That plan was reviewed by the Wake County Board of Commissioners on Sept. 9, 2024. View the presentation to the Board here and read the full Collective Vision for Digital Inclusion here. Watch this space in coming months for more details surrounding plan implementation.
It’s true. People with a reliable internet connection can live better-educated, healthier, wealthier lives.
That’s why Wake County has launched its Digital Inclusion Project – to coordinate a collective voice of residents most affected by the digital divide, along with local businesses, organizational leaders and individuals committed to eliminating digital inequities in every corner of the county.
Achieving digital equity is a collaborative effort. Informed by community conversations, stakeholder roundtables, deep-dive interviews with local internet service providers and more, communities across the county will continue to serve as an integral part of the Wake County Digital Inclusion Project.
We heard from you!
Wake County hosted five community conversations between July 16–18, 2024, as well as a virtual Community Conversation on August 15, 2024. Through these engagement exercises, we listened to the community’s digital experiences, shared more about Wake County's efforts to close the digital divide, and helped influence plans for the project’s future. Thank you for joining us!
Past Events
- July 16, 4–6 p.m.
Pine Acres Community Center
402 McLean St., Fuquay-Varina, NC 27526 - July 17, 12–2 p.m.
Wake County Eastern Regional Center (Rm 156)
1002 Dogwood Drive, Zebulon, NC 27597 - July 17, 5:30–7:30 p.m.
Friendship Chapel Baptist Church
237 Friendship Chapel Road, Wake Forest, NC 27587 - July 18, 12–2 p.m.
Western Wake Tech Campus (Rm 118)
3434 Kildaire Farm Road, Cary, NC 27518 - July 18, 5:30–7:30 p.m.
Chavis Park Community Center Reception Hall
505 Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd., Raleigh, NC 27601 - August 15, 5:30–7 p.m.
Virtual
Vision
Building off the vision set forth in the North Carolina Digital Equity Plan (2024), we are working toward a future where all Wake County residents have access to reliable, affordable, high-speed internet and the digital tools, resources and skills to fully and equitably participate in our society, democracy and economy.
What is the digital divide?
The digital divide is the gap between those who have means and access to broadband internet, technology, and digital fluency skills training and those who do not. It affects all generations in both urban and rural areas, but it often has an outsized impact on communities with high concentrations of vulnerable populations.
What is digital equity?
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 services1.
What is digital inclusion?
Digital Inclusion refers to the activities necessary to ensure that all individuals and communities, including the most disadvantaged, have access to and use of Information and Communication Technologies.
This includes five elements:
- Affordable, robust broadband internet service
- Internet-enabled devices that meet the needs of the user
- Access to digital fluency training
- Quality technical support
- Applications and online content designed to enable and encourage self-sufficiency, participation and collaboration2.
Mission
We envision a future where all North Carolina residents have access to reliable, affordable high-speed internet and digital tools, resources, and skills to fully and equitably participate in our society, democracy, and economy. – North Carolina Digital Equity Plan, 2024
Stay in touch!
Sign up for the mailing list below to learn about activities, events, surveys and other opportunities to stay involved with Wake County’s Digital Inclusion Project and receive updates on the project’s progression.
If you don’t have home internet or know someone who doesn’t but is interested in learning more, contact us by phone at 919-856-6000, and we will make every effort to return your call in a timely manner. You can also email us anytime at digitalinclusion@wake.gov.
1 https://www.ncbroadband.gov/digital-equity-plan-final/download?attachment (NC Digital Equity Plan, Page 111)
2 https://www.ncbroadband.gov/digital-equity-plan-final/download?attachment (NC Digital Equity Plan, Page 111)