Are you applying for broadband grant funding from the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act's Broadband Equity, Access, and Deployment (BEAD) program?&nbsp;You’ll need at least a 25% matching funds contribution for grants you seek, along with a <a href="https://broadband.money/broadband-grant-terms/letter-of-credit" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Letter of Credit </a>submitted up front with your application.&nbsp;That's the bare minimum. In many cases, states will seek a larger proportional match.This requirement may seem intimidating for many would be grant-seeking broadband providers – especially local, new, and non-traditional providers. But there are many pathways to fulfilling this requirement for strong, growth-minded providers of all shapes and sizes.&nbsp;The matching requirement can even be an opportunity to align with great partners who can help connect more families to better broadband. It’s all a matter of perspective, knowledge, and network.<figure class="image"><img src="https://storage.googleapis.com/bbm-public-bucket/Untitled_ef142592ee/Untitled_ef142592ee.png"></figure><figure class="image"><img></figure>Many in broadband view matching funds requirements as unfair, obstructionist and political, but the truth is: Matching contributions can be a powerful force multiplier for your project’s outcomes.Help with matching funds is the top request from <a href="http://broadband.money">Broadband.money</a> applicants – 68% of provider applicants look for some kind of help lining up this crucial, elusive ingredient.We even hear about otherwise-strong, skilled, capable providers – many local, many innovative – who are considering sitting out the IIJA BEAD program given the uniquely high bar for matching funds.That’s why we were so excited when <a href="https://www.fiberbroadband.org" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Fiber Broadband Association</a>’s President and CEO Gary Bolton imagined a webinar series to help bridge this knowledge gap.&nbsp;We’re grateful to get to work with Gary and the FBA team in their new series called <a href="https://discuss.broadband.money/c/broadband-grant-events/intro-to-bead-matching-funds" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Where’s the Funding</a>? Now providers and applicants can learn how to get matching funds for BEAD grants from experts. Gary generously agreed to make the curriculum open and available to the broadband community. Attendance is free.<h2>When</h2>On the third Wednesday of each month of 2023, an industry expert will lead a 30-minute discussion, including a Q&amp;A session.&nbsp;We’ll kick the series off with Gary in January’s episode, covering the basics of how to get matching funds for broadband grants.<h2>What</h2>In early 2023, the series will dive into matching contribution topics, from broad to advanced. Later in the year, episodes will get into the dedicated, unique needs of specific groups:<ul><li>Internet service providers and BEAD grant-matching funds</li><li>Tribal broadband grant matching funds</li><li>Rural Electric Cooperative (REC) and Telco broadband grant matching funds</li><li>Municipalities – all the flavors and varieties of tools available in the municipal markets</li></ul>Upcoming topics include:<ul><li>Intro to the Capital Stack: What are the pros and cons of different loans? Should you borrow money from private or public sources?</li><li>Intro to Private Funding Sources: Banks, family offices, foundations and more.</li><li>Intro to Public Funding Sources: How might applicants leverage public funding sources?</li><li>Intro to Alternative Sources and Types of Investments</li><li>How to Design a Resilient Capital Stack</li><li>Lining up Matching Funds Efficiently: You don’t need 100 different matching funds providers. Learn how to leverage the funding marketplace – launching mid-2023 – to save time and get multiple offers.</li><li>Navigating the <a href="https://broadband.money/broadband-grant-terms/letter-of-credit" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Letter of Credit</a>: You have to submit it up front. Where do you start? Once you get offers, now what?</li></ul>Broadband.money exists so providers can get the resources they need to connect more families to better broadband.&nbsp;We strongly encourage attending Where’s The Funding? Learn how to do more with less.<a href="https://login.circle.so/sign_up?request_host=discuss.broadband.money" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">RSVP for free</a> so you can learn how to <a href="http://broadband.money/wtf " target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">find BEAD matching funds providers</a>.&nbsp;&nbsp;

If you're applying for an IIJA BEAD grant, you should attend our webinar new "Where’s The Funding?" series, hosted by Gary Bolton, President and CEO of the Fiber Broadband Association.  

Introducing: Where's the Funding?

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It’s no secret. At broadband.money, we’re pumped for the upcoming Mountain Connect. Why?<ol><li>Alan Davidson, NTIA Administrator, is Mountain Connect 2022’s Keynote Presenter.&nbsp;<a href="https://discuss.broadband.money/c/broadband-grant-events/alan-davidson-keynote-mountain-connect" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Read more about this on our community page</a>. &nbsp;</li><li>It’s one week after NTIA releases it’s history-making BEAD NOFO. From where we sit, that’s the largest single-day event in the history of the broadband industry. The “starting gun” for what can and should become a precipitous end to our nation’s digital canyon. Mountain Connect is the perfect time and place to dive in. &nbsp;</li><li>Mountain Connect is the largest independently produced broadband conference in the United States. <a href="https://discuss.broadband.money/c/broadband-grant-events/jeff-g">Its founder</a> co-organizes it with a talented team each year as “a labor of love, a chance to give back to the industry that gave [him] so much.” Industry association events are essential. Vendor conferences are (almost) always fun. But there is something borderline magic about neutral, cross-sector broadband gatherings like Mountain Connect. To make the most of our nation’s historic public investment requires rigorous cross-sector collaboration. It’s going to take all walks working in concert to get the job done. Mountain Connect is the perfect time and place to dive in.&nbsp; &nbsp;</li><li>The roster is insane. Many of broadband’s best and brightest will be there. Some of the smartest, hardest working people in broadband go to Mountain Connect to talk solutions. Past attendees describe Mountain Connect as a “must attend” event. Policymakers, broadband investors, builders, techies – all walks in broadband go to Mountain Connect to learn, share, and grow. &nbsp;</li><li>It’s in the freakin’ Rocky Mountains. In May. In an intimate lodge, nestled in some of our nation’s finest scenery. &nbsp;</li></ol>Things we predict for Mountain Connect 2022 Attendees<ul><li>Rich, cross-sector conversations</li><li>Many partnerships and cross-sector partnership models will take root</li><li>Quality memories with friends old and new</li><li>A live demo of the broadband.money platform</li><li>Stand up paddle boarding jam sessions</li><li>Strange stickers</li><li>Surprise announcements</li><li>Maybe ice cream &nbsp;</li></ul>We hope to see you there. Learn more and save your spot here:<a href="https://mountainconnect.org">https://mountainconnect.org</a>

We're excited about Mountain Connect, the largest independently produced broadband conference in America. One week after @NTIAgov's history-making BEAD NOFO. In the beautiful Rocky Mountains. With hundreds of the brightest in broadband. And maybe ice cream. 

Mountain Connect 2022: A “Must-Attend” Event

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Great news last week: all 50 states and 5 territories and the District of Columbia announced their intention to <a href="https://discuss.broadband.money/c/get-broadband-grant-alerts-news/all-50-states-territories-and-d-c-join-broadband-equity-access-and-deployment-program" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">come on board for Access for All.</a> This means it’s Go Time for local providers and communities preparing to get their share of the historic program.On behalf of the Broadband.money and Ready teams, we are thankful you are undertaking the quest to help end the digital divide once and for all. Enrollment is now open for local providers intending to pursue <a href="https://broadband.money/broadband-grant-terms/broadband-equity-access-and-deployment-program" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">BEAD</a> grants.Our goal is to make the process of applying for <a href="https://broadband.money/broadband-grant-terms/broadband-equity-access-and-deployment-program" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">BEAD</a> grants as easy as possible. We've done that in several ways: helping you to learn, providing you with data and maps, as well as access to experts and a community.We built Broadband.money for local providers and the communities you serve to get the lion’s share of our nation’s largest-ever historic investment in broadband. We believe you are better qualified than national incumbents to get the job done, even if you might not have on-hand the array of resources you will need in order to get your share.You have the grit and genuine desire to get the job done. With the right resources in hand, you can get it done.To get your share of <a href="https://broadband.money/broadband-grant-terms/broadband-equity-access-and-deployment-program" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">BEAD</a>, you’ll need:<ul><li>Deep expertise in broadband grants, GIS, and community relations</li><li>At least 25% of the amount you’re applying to win – with documented proof up front</li><li>Tools for advanced geospatial analysis across complex data sets, and empirical data analysis</li><li>Hundreds of hours to build each of your project applications separately</li></ul>With Broadband.money, you get a partner and platform with:<ul><li>Built-in tools and resources to help you navigate grants, data, and effective community engagement</li><li>A common foundation – build one or more project applications from a single set of inputs</li><li>A collaborative platform – invite your consultants and other stakeholders to manage specific parts of your application journey</li><li>A lot of your time back – you’re busy connecting families and businesses to broadband</li><li>An easy way to apply once for matching funds from a variety of sources, including <a href="https://broadband.money/broadband-grant-terms/common-equity-stock" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">equity</a>, <a href="https://broadband.money/broadband-grant-terms/debt" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">debt</a>, and <a href="https://broadband.money/broadband-grant-terms/letter-of-credit" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">letter of credit providers</a></li><li>A community of broadband pros who want to help you win</li><li>Loads of other time-saving resources including office hours with former NTIA execs, <a href="https://broadband.money/ntia-bead-nofo/notice-of-funding-opportunity" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">annotated guides</a>, and more</li></ul><h2>What’s inside?</h2><h3>1. An A to Z Curriculum: Guides, Lessons &amp; Templates</h3>Broadband.money is <a href="https://broadband.money/start-broadband-grant-application" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">curriculum-based</a>, so you can work through your journey on your terms according to your timeline, at your pace. This way, you can work in logical units over the coming months in accordance with the requirements of the grant programs.<ul><li><a href="https://broadband.money/start-broadband-grant-application" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Guides</a> walk you through the questions needed in order to build your most effective broadband grant project proposals, and get you oriented for the next steps in your journey, such as partnering with great communities and lining up matching fund sources.</li><li><a href="https://broadband.money/lessons/bead-nofo-deep-dive" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Lessons</a> go into more detail about specific topics and themes you’ll need to know about in order to reach your full project proposal potential. This way, you’ll have the knowledge you need to answer questions with confidence.</li><li>Templates assist you in composing responses to structured inputs, such as <a href="https://broadband.money/broadband-grant-terms/broadband-equity-access-and-deployment-program" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">BEAD</a> grant pro forma, and more.</li></ul>Together, these building blocks will help you compose your best IIJA broadband grant project proposals starting with the groundwork for <a href="https://broadband.money/broadband-grant-terms/broadband-equity-access-and-deployment-program" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">BEAD</a>.<figure class="image"><img src="https://storage.googleapis.com/bbm-public-bucket/what_s_inside_1_82fa8ae1d9.png"></figure><figure class="image"><img src="https://storage.googleapis.com/bbm-public-bucket/rsz_1whats_inside_2_5ac6b498bc.png"></figure><h3>2. Powerful, Easy-to-Use Geospatial Tools</h3>Get to know your territory and areas of interest in an all-new light. Quickly build up your understanding of the areas for which you might apply. Get filterable address-level insights and multiple points of view on current service, competition, and socio-demographics – all in a single place. Best of all, you can import and export to popular formats so you can use your existing geo tools.<figure class="image"><img src="https://storage.googleapis.com/bbm-public-bucket/power_easy_to_use_geospatial_tools_min_ff006db948.png"></figure><h3>3. Dashboard + Area Analysis</h3>Track your journey to win broadband grants with a dashboard overview, and get into detail about areas of interest you’re looking to take on – months ahead before the <a href="https://broadband.money/broadband-grant-terms/federal-communications-commission" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Federal Communications Commission</a> publishes its own national map known as the “Fabric.” Stay informed with community events, industry updates and more.<figure class="image"><img src="https://storage.googleapis.com/bbm-public-bucket/dashboard_area_analysis_7c7ab7cbdc.png"></figure><code>Soon, the Community Broadband Toolkit will allow the communities you’re partnering with to get going on their side with community broadband performance data collection.</code><h2>&nbsp;</h2><h2>Why Now?</h2>While each state will have its own project-level requirements, the core of what you’re going to need to produce is already well-documented by the <a href="https://broadband.money/ntia-bead-nofo/notice-of-funding-opportunity" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">NTIA’s NOFO</a>. Think of it like Turbotax – you can do your main “application” (1040 federal return) and then later do your state-level “applications” (returns).States will finalize submission requirements in a few months. Meanwhile, your application model is safely stored while you develop answers, team up with collaborators, and make progress through developing your proposals. This way, when your states of interest open their portals, you’ll be ready.While it’s certainly possible to wait on state plans and Fabric maps, it’s not clear that’s a winning strategy. Three reasons you should consider starting now:<h3>Incumbents aren’t waiting</h3>Local providers and the communities they’re teaming up with to serve need every advantage in the fight to divert resources from where they’ve historically gone.While <a href="https://broadband.money/broadband-grant-terms/federal-communications-commission" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">FCC </a>Fabric will surely be light years ahead of Form 477 self-reporting, the self-reported nature of the data still remains a risk for local providers and communities who need better broadband. It’s worth having a different point of view. Luckily, NTIA allows for challenges to Fabric data.<h3>Neither is your competition – current or future</h3>If you’ve been the only game in town for years, you might be caught off guard by the number of new entrants popping up as a result of our nation’s largest-ever investment in broadband. <a href="https://broadband.money/broadband-grant-terms/broadband-equity-access-and-deployment-program" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">BEAD</a> provides the resources to defend, strengthen and increase your territory… but only if you apply and win.<h3>You need matching funds up front</h3>For many local providers and communities, the minimum 25% matching fund requirement – with proof required at the time of filing your proposals – will be the Achilles heel for otherwise great applications. With Broadband.money, qualified providers will be able to line up matching funds from a range of sources. This way, otherwise capable, qualified local providers, and the communities they are serving, won’t be left in the dust by well-funded rivals.<h3>Get Started on BEAD Grant Applications</h3>If you’re already pre-enrolled, look for your email invitation to join Broadband.money. The first guide you’ll complete is <a href="https://broadband.money/broadband-grant-guides/getting-ready-for-bead" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Getting Ready for BEAD</a>.

On behalf of the Broadband.money and Ready teams, we are thankful you are undertaking the quest to help end the digital divide once and for all. Enrollment is now open for local providers intending to pursue BEAD grants. Get Started on BEAD, Middle Mile, Digital Equity, and Tribal Broadband Grants.

BEAD Grant Applications are Now Open for Local Providers

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Mayors: Is access to strong, affordable broadband for your constituents at the top of your agenda? If not, you might soon miss a one-time opportunity to make your city more competitive.&nbsp; Broadband is now essential. Not everyone gets itYou know strong broadband is now essential for daily life. Access to education, healthcare, and jobs now depend on broadband. For many of your constituents, internet access is inadequate for this new reality, with few, or no real broadband choices in parts of your city. For others, plans are too expensive.&nbsp;<div class="raw-html-embed"><div class="contentPart">
<h2>Help could be on the way, if you act fast</h2>
Right now, America’s gearing up to make its largest – and likely last – major public investment in broadband. Within the broadband provisions of the Infrastructure Investment &amp; Jobs Act (IIJA), your state could get as much as $3 billion to help build next-generation broadband infrastructure.
The largest program – the $42.5 Billion Broadband Equity Access &amp; Deployment (BEAD) program, is designed to fund capital-intensive, modern broadband infrastructure in communities like yours.


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</div></div>&nbsp;Your city could be entitled to hundreds of millions of dollars for broadband projects, depending on:<ol style="list-style-type:decimal;"><li>How many <a href="https://broadband.money/broadband-grant-terms/unserved-location">unserved</a> and <a href="https://broadband.money/broadband-grant-terms/unserved-location">underserved</a> <a href="https://broadband.money/broadband-grant-terms/broadband-serviceable-locations">serviceable broadband locations</a> you’re able to prove that exist within your city</li><li>Your state’s broadband plan, and to what extent you shape it with empirical data</li></ol>&nbsp;<h3>There is a catch – and it’s up to you to fix it</h3>The way BEAD’s prioritization algorithm works means the money will flow by default away from denser urban areas like your city, since:<ol><li>More eligible providers will self-report adequate service in denser metro areas. It will be harder to prove unserved and underserved locations without defensible, empirical data.</li><li>BEAD prioritizes higher-cost projects. Broadband project cost and population density are usually inversely correlated.&nbsp;</li></ol>This means that, without intervention from you, your city could see very little of this one-time broadband windfall.&nbsp;&nbsp;<h3>How will you ensure your city gets its fair share of BEAD grants?&nbsp;</h3>Luckily – the National Telecommunications &amp; Information Administration (NTIA) architected a nearly perfect solution for you, if you choose to lead it: <a href="https://broadband.money/broadband-grant-terms/local-coordination">Local Coordination</a>. This legal requirement obligates your state to consult with you about your local communities' needs before it sends its final financial ask of the federal government – in the form of a state broadband plan. You’ll have tools available to make your case after the plan is submitted, but you’re far better off to be at the table now, with good, defensible data about your city's current broadband need in hand.&nbsp;&nbsp;<h3>When and where to start</h3>Your state’s broadband planning is underway now. There is still time for Mayors like you to orient your response in order to get ready to get your city’s share, but that window is closing.&nbsp; You need to be at the table, equipped with defensible, empirical data about your city’s current broadband reality.&nbsp;You can set the foundation with your city's <a href="https://broadband.money/broadband-grant-terms/broadband-audit" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Broadband Audit</a>, with data through the Community Broadband Kit.&nbsp;&nbsp;<h1><a href="https://broadband.money?src=USCM">Get your city's free Broadband Audit today</a>.</h1><figure class="image"><img src="https://storage.googleapis.com/bbm-public-bucket/community_broadband_kit_preview_7d25b471ae.png"></figure>Free broadband test for your city to gather empirical proof of broadband need<figure class="image"><img src="https://storage.googleapis.com/bbm-public-bucket/boss_dashboard_preview_06ef3b3e73.png"></figure>Detailed, interactive reports in your Broadband Audit<figure class="image"><img src="https://storage.googleapis.com/bbm-public-bucket/Detroit_Community_Kit_2812636379.png"></figure>Geospatial Insights in your city's Broadband Audit<figure class="image"><img src="https://storage.googleapis.com/bbm-public-bucket/image_a6c51de332.png"></figure>Quickly distribute your Broadband Kit to Community Anchor Institutions<h3>&nbsp;</h3><h3>Learn More &amp; Take Action</h3><ol><li><a href="https://broadband.money/community-broadband-kit?src=USCM">Get started on your city’s Broadband Audit</a> through the Community Broadband Kit&nbsp;</li><li>Watch this <a href="https://broadband.money/events/ntia-head-alan-davidsons-keynote-address-mountain-connect-2022">Fireside chat with Alan Davidson</a> , Head of the agency overseeing $50 billion of the $75 billion for broadband in motion now.&nbsp;</li><li>And this <a href="https://broadband.money/lessons/bead-nofo-deep-dive">Recent webinar from Scott Woods, Esq.</a>&nbsp;A former NTIA executive weighs in on unpacking the agency’s $42.5 Billion BEAD Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO)</li><li>Encourage your staff to join the <a href="https://discuss.broadband.money">Broadband Grants Community</a> of 800+ broadband professionals, introduce yourselves, and post your city’s broadband efforts &amp; requests for help. Learn about broadband funding, deployment planning and technologies and discuss active challenges.</li><li>Want to share your city’s digital inclusion &amp; equity plans with the community? Odds are good that your state director is in the community – it’s a great place to publicly share your city’s broadband vision. Ping <a href="mailto:sarah@ready.net">Sarah Lai Stirland</a> for help.</li><li>Bookmark the <a href="https://broadband.money/resources">Broadband Grants Resource Center</a> – more resources added weekly.</li><li>Contact us for more information – we’re here to help you win.&nbsp;</li></ol>

America's gearing up to make its largest – and almost certainly last – investment in broadband. By default, most of that money is set to flow away from urban areas. Mayors can and should get their share to connect constituents.

Mayors: Don't Miss Your City's Share of Billions for Broadband

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So, you’ve launched your Community Broadband Kit. Congrats! You’re on your way to the results you’ll need in order to understand <a href="https://broadband.money/broadband-grant-terms/unserved-location" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">unserved </a>and <a href="https://broadband.money/broadband-grant-terms/underserved-location" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">underserved </a>locations in your broadband grant proposal area, as well as the community survey data required for a broadband needs assessment.<figure class="image"><img src="https://storage.googleapis.com/bbm-public-bucket/do_something_broadband_audit_603ac70430/do_something_broadband_audit_603ac70430.gif"></figure>But how exactly do you get people to… take your test? You’ve come to the right place to find out! Below are some of the ways broadband leaders like you get the word out about their community’s Broadband Kit.<h1>Built-in Ways to Share Your Broadband Needs Assessment</h1>Marketing your broadband needs assessment shouldn’t be complicated. Community Broadband Kit ships with built-in ways you can get the word out about your community broadband survey and free internet test.You can:<ol><li>Use Community Kit to understand areas of unserved / underserved concentration. Start building your plan for engaging those areas.</li><li>(Coming Soon) Use Community Broadband Kit to identify and message community anchor institutions in those areas.</li><li>(Coming Soon) Community Broadband Kit lets you add emails of your colleagues and friends who live in the area. You can tee up a message to take the test. It's all in the one package.</li><li>Use the built-in Share result to send your Community’s Kit to social media<ol><li>As test-takers complete your test, ask them to use the built-in sharing tools to publicize their results on social media to encourage others to take the test too.</li></ol></li></ol><h1>External Community Engagement Ideas</h1>The Community Broadband Kit itself is free, but you might want to find a small budget somewhere to help you get the word out.&nbsp; &nbsp;Non-profits working in your area might have access to digital inclusion grant funding. Co-ordinate with them to work collaboratively. Find more local partners to multiply the reach of your messaging …<h3>Via Direct Message or Email</h3>Once you’ve confirmed your web address (URL) is working, copy and paste it into the messages you send. If you share the URL itself, many messaging systems will display an image that explains the need to help your community win broadband grants.<h3>Via Social Media</h3>Many residents in your area have accounts with popular social media services such as Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram. Post about your Kit and don’t forget to share results using the built-in sharing tools periodically.<h3>Via Schools</h3>Engage schools in the area. Send a note home with students asking their parents to confirm that their kids are able to complete their homework with the internet access they currently have at home. Ask them to make sure that their kids can do remote learning, if needed. Sending a note home with a QR code and link to take the test is a powerful way to engage residents in your area.<h3>Via Local Councils &amp; Utilities</h3>Your town council has a vested interested in ensuring better access for all constituents. You can educate both the council and the public at a town meeting about how they can easily use the kit to get funding for better broadband. Even better, the council might help you distribute the test via email or even traditional mail. Use <a href="https://www.qrcode-monkey.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">QR Monkey</a> to generate a QR code to your service to make it even easier for residents to take action.<h3>Via Local Utilities</h3>Local utilities send bills to customers on a regular basis. Urge them to include a reference to the area’s Community Broadband Kit on the next bill.<h3>Via Local Newspapers</h3><ol><li>Talk to reporters at your local newspaper. Their beats includes issues that impact local matters. Potentially missing out on millions of dollars can be a powerful story.</li><li>Write an opinion piece for your local paper urging folks to take two minutes to help build their community’s case for better broadband. Help them understand that they need quality broadband to participate in the modern economy, get healthcare, and for kids to be able to learn.</li><li>Failing those, you could take out a small ad in your area’s paper</li></ol><h3>Area Online Advertisement</h3>It’s easier than ever to get in front of people in a specific area through today’s geo-aware channels. You can <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Geo-fence" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">geofence</a> Google, Facebook, or Twitter ads around your area to help get the word out.<h1>Creativity is 👑!</h1>These are just a few of many ways you can get people to understand why they should take your free one-minute broadband test.Thinking creatively can lead you to many people who might not otherwise hear about your test.<ul><li>Engage groups you might not otherwise relate to on a daily basis.</li><li>What community anchors – churches, libraries, schools – do they engage with? Can you make the case to representatives of those anchors to help get the word out?</li></ul><h1>A Note on Inclusion</h1>A cruel paradox in our nation’s broadband canyon is that it divides a group of folks who – because they’ve been left behind digitally – might not even have the basic means of engaging in your online survey.&nbsp;&nbsp;We urge you to remember them in your journey to mapping your community’s broadband reality, especially since there is a high correlation between areas historically underserved by communications providers and people who need extra help navigating today’s digital world. Don't forget the in-person outreach that's necessary for this constituency.&nbsp;&nbsp;For more information on the importance of inclusion, check out the <a href="https://www.digitalinclusion.org/">National Digital Inclusion Alliance</a> for a wealth of resources and guidance.&nbsp;

Learn how broadband leaders can get the word out about their community’s Broadband Kit.

Rallying Your Community For Better Broadband, aka Getting People To Take Your Test

Jase Wilson

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Broadband Grant Expert

Jase Wilson

Lessons

Articles

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