Broadband and Digital Equity

Bridging the Digital Divide

In partnership with KC Rising and the Federal Reserve Bank of Kansas City, MARC is collaborating with local governments, businesses, civic leaders and community partners to develop the Kansas City Regional Digital Equity Action Strategy. The effort is important to identify the Kansas City region’s needs as the two states develop their plans for broadband infrastructure and digital equity. The planning work is resulting in a strategy for broadband and digital equity via short- and long-term investments that achieve the goal of providing all households in the region with high-quality and affordable access to broadband.

The planning effort began in the summer of 2022 and has involved the following:

• Coordinating work with key community partners.
• Inventory and engagement of community organizations.
• Business and civic engagement.
• Building strategic relationships with state broadband offices.
• Outreach to local governments, libraries and educational institutions.
• Identifying areas where broadband infrastructure investments are needed.
• Review of best practice research and learning about emerging technologies.

The work has involved outreach to and built on groups that were involved in digital equity previously and engaged new participants. The outreach has involved:

• Advisory group meetings.
• Topic-based working groups, such as broadband infrastructure, community engagement, and research and technological innovations.
• Workshops focused on issues, barriers, potential solutions and implementation projects.

Public Meetings

MARC and our community partners are working with the states of Missouri and Kansas broadband offices to support their statewide plans. We encourage the public to share your thoughts on internet connectivity in your neighborhood. Meetings will take place:

• June 2, 2023 | 10 a.m. - noon | Missouri Broadband Office meeting at MARC offices 600 Broadway Blvd, Suite 200, KCMO. Learn more>>
• April 11 and 13, 2023 | Kansas Broadband Office to host meetings in Kansas City, Kansas, Paola and Olathe. View schedule>>

Action Steps

We're seeking feedback from the public on the draft Kansas City Regional Digital Equity Strategy Action Plan. The report includes nine sections, including:

• Purpose of the report, vision and regional goals
• Importance of addressing the digital divide
• Status of digital access and adoption
• Community engagement process
• Barriers to access and adoption
• Special populations
• Status of institutions addressing barriers and needs
• Inventory of community organizations providing support
• Recommendations and next steps

Anyone who would like to share their thoughts on the plan may email Marlene Nagel at mnagel@marc.org. The deadline to submit feedback is April 7, 2023.

Work is also underway on a second report which focuses on broadband infrastructure and neighborhoods and communities that are unserved or underserved with adequate, reliable internet services. The report, which looks at the region’s infrastructure using multiple data and mapping resources, will be available soon.