NTIA, as part of its BroadbandUSA program, will host a nine-part series of monthly webinars to engage stakeholders to inform the development of the Community Connectivity Initiative (Initiative). The objective of the Initiative is to support communities working to accelerate broadband access, improve digital inclusion, strengthen policies, and support local community priorities. The webinar series will convene stakeholders to discuss the role that broadband plays in achieving local priorities and will solicit input on the development of the Initiative, which is a compilation of three new resources for local communities featuring: (1) A Community Connectivity framework; (2) an online self-assessment tool; and (3) a report and recommendations. Through collaborative sessions, participants will: Review the Community Connectivity framework; review assessment questions and response options; co-design the structure and content for the report and recommendations; and identify supporting resources and tools that will support the local communities' use of the tools in 2017 and beyond.
The Community Connectivity Initiative monthly webinars will be held on the second Thursday of each month from 2:00-3:00 p.m., Eastern Time, starting on July 14, 2016 and ending on March 9, 2017.