Shutesbury Digital Equity Project
Your Broadband Team has been working with the Franklin Regional Council of Governments to develop a Municipal Digital Equity Plan. The plan will help us understand barriers to internet access and affordability and help us obtain state grant funds. In 2025 Shutesbury was named a National Digital Inclusion Alliance Trailblazer for our work bringing digital equity to our community.
In 2024 nearly half all all residents that use ShutesburyNET responded to the survey to help us craft our Digital Equity Plan: DRAFT PLAN
(Go to page 40 to see the Action Plan for Shutesbury. Go to page 58 to see the full survey results.)
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
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 vital for civic and cultural participation, employment, lifelong learning, and access to essential services. Basically it means doing our best to make sure that everyone who wants internet access can get it through affordable service, devices and the skills to use the technology.
Has the grant already been awarded and how much is it?
We’ve already gotten preliminary approval and at least $56,603.00 has been set aside for our Town. This amount might increase but is unlikely to exceed $100,000. The next step in the process is to demonstrate engagement and analyze the data to decide how the funds will be used - which is what this town wide survey aims to do.
Will getting a grant raise our monthly broadband rates or taxes?
No, the broadband budget is self-supporting so the operating expenses are fully funded by subscriber fees, not taxes. The grant funds obtained from this project will be used to increase digital equity in our town by funding projects such as connecting the remaining homes, getting more shared devices in town, educational programs, or overall equipment upgrades. The grant funds will either reduce the cost for projects we were planning to do anyway, do them sooner or fund projects we couldn’t do otherwise. Your input on the survey will give us data to help decide how the funds get used.
More questions? Please contact: Ted Harvey, Franklin Regional Council of Governments (tharvey@frcog.org or 413-774-3167, ext. 165) or Gayle Huntress, Shutesbury MLP Manager broadband@shutesbury.org.