Bridging the digital divide: how local organizations are increasing access in NCW

NORTH CENTRAL WASHINGTON —  Today’s technology has the power to transform and connect communities by expanding access to information, healthcare, education, and goods. With this promise, more services are moving online, making reliance on digital tools increasingly unavoidable.

From paying bills to applying to jobs, modern life demands digital skills, internet connectivity, and access to devices. However, not all individuals and communities have equal access.

According to local experts, roughly one in four residents across Chelan, Douglas, Grant and Okanogan counties experience some form of digital inequity that limits their access to information, education, employment, and healthcare.

“As technology increases, it's great for those that are keeping up with it, but for those that are getting left behind, that gap is getting bigger and bigger,” said Tech Engagement Specialist

Jennifer Walker, an American Connection Corps member serving with NCW Tech Alliance.

That gap is commonly referred to as the digital divide, which local leaders break into three interconnected factors: connection, devices, and skills. A gap in any one of these areas can prevent residents from fully benefitting from technology.

“The more I've been learning about a lot of this digital access, the more I'm realizing it's a big beast to try and tackle some of these issues that are going on in the rural areas,” said Walker.

Connectivity forms the foundation of digital access, and expensive terrain challenges — including mountainous areas in Chelan County and the expansive geography of Okanogan County — have slowed and even restricted broadband expansion in some parts of the region. 

Still, North Central Washington has made significant investments in broadband infrastructure over the past two decades. Chelan County PUD has built out 76 percent of its fiber network, with Grant and Douglas counties both surpassing 90 percent. While broadband access is further behind in Okanogan County and the Colville Reservation, ongoing projects are aiming to extend broadband access to approximately 1,100 more homes and businesses, according to NCW Digital Access Coalition’s 2024 Digital Access Plan.

However, affordability and service quality continue to be major barriers for many households. In more remote areas, residents may rely on satellite or converted cable connections that are often more expensive, less reliable and unable to support modern capacity. Additionally, there is a large discrepancy between residents who have access to high-speed fiber broadband and those who are actually utilizing the service. For instance, the take rate is only 55 percent in Chelan County, 66 percent in Grant County, and 42 percent in Douglas County.

“There's a misconception that everyone has access to the internet, without considering the actual cost of internet service,” said Wendy Brzezny, Senior Director of Programs at Thriving Together NCW.

Over the years, the cost of access to both connectivity and devices has pushed local organizations and agencies to step in with support. Many of these efforts have been through the collective efforts of the NCW Digital Access Coalition, which involves organizations, public utilities, government agencies, community groups, and stakeholders across Chelan, Douglas, Grant, and Okanogan counties and the Confederated Tribes of the Colville Reservation.

For instance, school districts give laptops and Wi-Fi hotspots for students to take home, while NCW Tech Alliance provides refurbished computers to residents. NCW Libraries offers public computers, Wi-Fi, printing services, and mobile hotspots for checkout at its libraries, and is also working with Thriving Together NCW to provide private spaces for Telehealth appointments.

“It needs to be solved by the community. Technology is ubiquitous in all of the things that we are doing. Therefore, we all have a stake in trying to address this issue in the ways that we live, work and play,” said Brzezny.

While the need still remains, more and more residents are gaining access to connectivity and devices. However, local advocates are starting to see a larger challenge emerge: digital literacy. 

“Once we equipped folks with those devices, we never really did the foundational work…and education of upskilling folks,” said NCW Libraries Digital Literacy and Learning Manager Ash Kunz.

Increasingly, partners of the NCW Digital Access Coalition are finding ways to assist with digital literacy, whether it’s providing one-on-one sessions, group classes, or training digital navigators to expand assistance. Most recently, NCW Tech Alliance has been working with NCW Libraries and senior centers to provide digital education. The questions include anything from smartphone navigation and sending an email, to filling out online forms and looking up bus routes. Special sessions have also been organized to help patients and providers with MyChart, an online patient portal.

“If we don't help them, that digital divide is going to get bigger and bigger…It's just going to be an even bigger problem. So, my goal is to hopefully get more digital navigators volunteering their time,” said Walker.

With sponsorship from Community Health Network of Washington, Thriving Together NCW, and Microsoft, NCW Tech and North Central Educational Service District (NCESD) are offering digital navigator training to employees and volunteers of community-based organizations to help individuals increase their digital skills. 

“Many of us think that technology is going to save the world, or it's going to increase access to health care, but it's not going to increase it if your patients don't know how to use it. It's not going to improve the ability of individuals to pay their bills online if they don't know how,” said Brzezny.

More information about the efforts to increase digital equity in North Central Washington and how to get involved can be found at ncwtechhelp.org.

Taylor Caldwell: 509-433-7276 or taylor@ward.media