For generations, rural and less central communities have been neglected and asked to function without the many modern conveniences other areas have grown accustomed to. Inadequate infrastructure and connectivity have kept communities in the past leaving many without an effective tool for greater citizen engagement.
ACTIVE Network president Andrea Facini knows some leaders may not see how improved infrastructure leads to a more engaged community, but the applications of useable broadband reach beyond the obvious to create opportunities on both sides. Local governments must also take advantage of the upgrades, such as creating a single platform for citizens to visit and complete multiple tasks or promote digital literacy while explaining the voucher system for families worried about broadband affordability. A government engaging with earnest reciprocity will attract more engaged participants.
Read what Andrea Facini has to say in American City & County–How the $1 trillion infrastructure bill will deliver broadband expansion to reinvigorate local governments and citizen engagement–to learn more about how increased and modern connectivity supplied by the infrastructure bill can foster citizen engagement, provide opportunities for local governments to better serve residents, and ultimately create a better community.
