Broadband in McDowell
In case you missed last month's meeting, the McDems hosted Keith Buchanan of Connect McDowell, an earnest and passionate speaker on the topic of Broadband in McDowell County.
You can help us spread the word about how important broadband is in our county by contacting our elected officials. A quick email is all it takes! Email addresses are provided via the link below. "Contact Your Representatives".
From Keith:
Takeaway items from the June 26, 2023, McDowell Dems meeting on Broadband (Broadband is currently defined as a "Minimum" of 25mbps download by 3mbps upload)
Broadband should be classified as a PUBLIC UTILITY just like power, water, or septic (how can we pass legislation to make this a reality)
Broadband Expansion / Digital Equity, Inclusion, and Education should be a budgeted line item for every local government entity.
Local entities must partner (subsidize) with current broadband providers (e.g., Spectrum, Optimum, Conterra) to extend broadband further mile by mile in cases where the number of homes per mile doesn't meet the ROI (Return on Investment) criteria for the providers to build-out.
Local entities should stop waiting on others to "fix" the problem and seek grants and other funding opportunities to complete broadband to all citizens.
Census block-related grants should stop allowing recipients 5-10 years for buildout before penalties or payback; 2-3 years should be the maximum.
Multi-Lingual technology and education training to help our less fortunate populations.
Thank you for reaching out to make our voices heard! This just takes a quick copy and paste. Email addresses are at:
https://www.mcdems.com/contact
about halfway down the page.
Helping to further our promise to the folks of McDowell County,
Susan Elliott
McDowell County Democratic Party
