Digital Literacy

The more you know about the non adopter population in your community and their reluctance or inability to adopt broadband, for whatever reason, the better positioned you will be to run an effective awareness-raising campaign.

While cost is the leading barrier to adoption, nearly two-thirds of non-adopters note that something else keeps them from getting broadband at home. In addition to cost, lack of digital skills, irrelevance of online content and inaccessible hardware and software often work together to limit adoption. For non-adopters to find broadband valuable enough to subscribe, they need a basic knowledge of how to find and use trustworthy, substantive content and services.

There is also an important social dimension to broadband adoption that cannot be overlooked. The primary incentive for broadband adoption is communication-two-way communication through e-mail, social networking platforms, instant messaging or video-chatting. People find broadband relevant when the communities they care about are online, exchanging information and creating content. Once online, individuals will stay online if they continue to find information and broadband applications that are useful and relevant to their lives and when the people around them do the same. E-mailing friends and family is difficult if they do not also have e-mail.

Getting people online is a critical first step, but the goal must be to keep people online through sustainable efforts that promote utilization and help each user derive value from the Internet in his or her own way.

Ultimately, it is well publicized information, paired with the collaborative spirit - in which government officials, business leaders, active community members, and the broader community work together - that can move a community toward a "culture of broadband adoption" and increase the benefits of expanded access and usage. Moreover, informed, committed community leaders will naturally wish to share the benefits of widespread adoption, the media will report on the effort, and residents will become more curious.

Step by step, you are laying the groundwork for the most effective part of the awareness-raising campaign for which the Broadband Adoption Toolkit was designed: A broadband adoption campaign to engage residents about the barriers they perceive, and educate them about the benefits of broadband adoption. This engagement should be designed as an important step in launching a meaningful transformative process that will inspire confidence among participants to seize these benefits for themselves.

The Broadband Adoption Toolkit will help you articulate a call to action - to help energize the effort and design a campaign to build momentum.  Contact Us for more information...