EAST BRIDGEWATER — Town Administrator Charles Seelig is pleased to share opportunities for residents to share feedback on internet access and digital equity.
The Massachusetts Broadband Institute (MBI) is seeking to better understand the needs of Massachusetts residents when it comes to internet access and digital equity. Residents can share their feedback and experiences through an online survey and/or at a town workshop.
The Town of East Bridgewater is working with MBI and consultant Vanasse Hangen Brustlin (VHB) to engage in planning activities related to digital equity and bridging the digital divide. Resident feedback will help to guide future municipal decision-making and potential investments and activities to increase access and usage of the internet for populations, especially those most impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic.
“We encourage residents to complete the survey and attend the workshop to share their experiences with internet access,” said Town Administrator Seelig. “We look forward to working with the Massachusetts Broadband Institute and, with the help of the feedback we receive from residents, producing a plan to advance digital equity in East Bridgewater.”
Massachusetts Statewide Digital Equity Survey
MBI recently launched the Massachusetts Statewide Digital Equity Survey. The survey will take approximately five minutes to complete and can be accessed online by clicking here.
The survey will help inform the Commonwealth’s investment of funding to provide improved connectivity for all residents of Massachusetts, increasing access to education, healthcare, civic engagement, economic, and other opportunities. MBI would like to make sure residents’ voices are heard and that the Commonwealth’s plans reflect the unique needs of communities.
The online survey is available in nine languages: English, Spanish, Portuguese, Chinese, Haitian Creole, Vietnamese, Russian, Arabic and Khmer. The language can be adjusted in the top right corner of the survey webpage.
Paper copies of the survey are available for download online in English (click here), Spanish (click here) or Portuguese (click here). Paper copies can also be picked up in the Select Board’s office in East Bridgewater Town Hall, 175 Central St.
Completed paper copies of the survey can be sent to: Luke Mitchell, c/o VHB, 101 Walnut Street, PO Box 9151, Watertown MA, 02472.
The survey is anonymous. One respondent per household is recommended to complete the survey.
Town Workshop
The Town of East Bridgewater will also hold a workshop on Tuesday, Aug. 15 at 7 p.m. at the Community Center at Sachem Rock/East Bridgewater Council on Aging, 355 Plymouth St.
At this workshop, attendees will discuss the challenges they’ve experienced in using the internet, such as a lack of devices, lack of access to high-speed broadband, lack of knowledge about how to use the internet and more, as well as what steps the town and other entities can take to eliminate barriers.
The Council on Aging (CoA) will provide transportation to and from the workshop if at least four residents contact the CoA at 508-378-1610 to request a ride.
At the end of the workshop, the Town will receive a report with strategic recommendations to begin, modify or expand digital equity programs/investments and a vision for future action.
About Massachusetts Broadband Institute:
MBI’s mission is to make affordable high-speed Internet available to all homes, businesses, schools, libraries, medical facilities, government offices, and other public places across the Commonwealth. MBI works closely with the Administration, the state Legislature, municipalities, broadband service providers, and other key stakeholders to bridge the digital divide in Massachusetts. The Commonwealth created the MBI as a division of the MassTech Collaborative when signing the Broadband Act into law in August 2008. Learn more about Massachusetts Internet for All.
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