In recent years, many Franklin County residents have effortlessly accessed the internet at home, work, school, and throughout our communities. Yet, for a surprising percentage of our population, broadband access is elusive and not readily available in homes, apartments, shelters, and other residential locations. 

In April 2020, a number of Franklin County organizations began participating in informal, virtual meetings to more closely examine the status of broadband challenges for area residents. Over time, this organic gathering has grown to include business, government, education, non-profit and social sector representatives now known as the Franklin County Digital Equity Coalition.  Thanks to the investment of The Columbus Foundation, an updated assessment of our region’s broadband assets and opportunities provided the Coalition with a guide for short and long-term possibilities for increasing broadband adoption.

The shared digital equity challenges of 2020-21 created a determination to greatly reduce or eliminate the digital divide. The Coalition and its working groups meet several times each month, and the momentum for this collective effort continues to increase. The Coalition also recognizes and respects the significant investments made by numerous Internet Service Providers (ISPs) in our community, and values the ongoing partnership of ISPs to collectively meet the digital equity needs of all Franklin County residents.

The Coalition currently consists of more than 30 public, private and non-profit entities throughout Franklin County working to create long-term solutions to digital equity. We believe digital equity is integral to achieving economic, educational, racial, and social equity.