For Us, by Us: Blue Ridge Broadband Alliance Ignites Digital Opportunity in Western North Carolina

When you think of Western North Carolina, you probably think about the beautiful Blue Ridge mountains, tubing down the French Broad River, boating on Lake Lure, or having a drink in one of Asheville’s many famous breweries. What you may not be thinking about is high-speed internet, laptops, or digital skills. Although digital opportunity for residents and small businesses have been at the center of the work of many local and regional organizations for many years, the COVID-19 pandemic––and more recently the aftermath of Hurricane Helene––have brought to the forefront the vulnerable nature of the digital communications infrastructure in WNC. Most recently, WNC has been grappling with the aftermath of Helene at the same time as it is experiencing sudden terminations of federal funding that communities were counting on to rebuild infrastructure, farms, schools, housing, and economic opportunities. Despite the loss of funding, WNC is determined to move the needle on digital opportunity for its residents. With financial support from the Dogwood Health Trust and administrative support from the Benton Institute for Broadband & Society––which has supported the founding and running of several other such coalitions across the United States––Land of Sky’s Energy & Economic Development Manager, Sara Nichols, is spearheading the newly founded Blue Ridge Broadband Alliance.

[Dr. Bianca C. Reisdorf is an Associate Professor in the Department of Communication Studies at the University of North Carolina at Charlotte. Megan N. Foster is a fifth-year Ph.D. candidate in the Department of Communication at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.]