Montague Digital Equity Planning
In 2023-2024, Montague began a multiple month planning process to prepare a digital equity plan for the town. The Mass Broadband Institute (MBI) selected Montague to be in the first cohort of communities to build out a plan as part of the the Municipal Digital Equity Planning Program.
Our Digital Equity Plan
Montague's plan is now finalized and has been submitted to MBI.
This plan aims to understand how the Town can best ensure that all its residents have fair and equal access to digital technologies–including the internet, computers, and mobile phones–as well as the skills and knowledge to effectively use them. Informed by state and local data and public feedback, the plan outlines a path for closing the digital divide and achieve digital equity.
The 3 pillars of digital equity are:
The Digital Equity Plan is to guide the Town in its investments and decision-making around services and infrastructure to increase internet access and usage in the community. It also helps to prepare the Town to submit grant proposals to existing and upcoming state or federal programs. The ultimate goal is to lay the groundwork for long-term investments to achieve digital equity for all in Montague. The final plan is incorporated into the Town's updated 2024 Comprehensive Plan.
The Town worked with staff from Franklin Regional Council of Governments in assisting with this project. This project has been funded by the Massachusetts Broadband Institute's Municipal Digital Equity Planning Program. For more info about this MBI program, see link.
Steering Group:
The Town worked with the Comprehensive Plan Steering Group, who also served as the project's steering group. The steering group's role was to provide oversight of this work; and assist with community engagement strategies and development of a community assessment and action plan. The steering group met periodically throughout the planning process to prepare the digital equity plan.
Community Engagement:
The Town solitited community input via a community-wide meeting and focus groups with priority populations within town that are found to be most at-risk and/or experiencing digital inequities, such as older adults, low-income populations, and households where English is not the primary language.
Public Meetings:
If you were not able to attend the public meetings, but still want to share feedback or ask questions, please contact Maureen Pollock, Montague Town Planner at mpollock@montague-ma.gov or (413) 863-3200 x 112; or Ted Harvey, FRCOG Senior Economic Development Planner at tharvey@frcog.org or (413) 774-3167 x 165.
