Dear friends and partners,
Welcome to the inaugural edition of the Blue Ridge Broadband Bulletin—the official newsletter of the Blue Ridge Broadband Alliance and your monthly update on the collaborative work happening across our region to close the digital divide. If you would like to join the Alliance and attend our monthly meetings, I invite you to sign up here.
I’m excited about the momentum we’re building together. From regional planning to on-the-ground community outreach, our partners—spanning counties, municipalities, nonprofits, libraries, schools, and internet service providers— are stepping up with purpose and vision.
Together, we’re working to ensure every Western North Carolina resident has access to reliable, affordable internet and the skills and support needed to fully participate in today’s digital world.
Over the coming months, I look forward to getting to know all of you and to hearing how this work impacts your community.
Warm regards,
Sara Nichols
Blue Ridge Broadband Alliance
A Catalyst for Connection: Western North Carolina at Net Inclusion 2025 | Benton Institute for Broadband & Society | Zoë Walker
“Energizing,” “incredible,” “memorable”—those were some of the words that kept coming up when the members of the Dogwood Digital Opportunity Initiative (DOI) described their time at Net Inclusion 2025.
As part of the Digital Opportunity Initiative, Dogwood Health Trust brought 30 leaders from Western North Carolina (WNC) to the Gila River Resort in Phoenix, Arizona, to attend the National Digital Inclusion Alliance’s (NDIA) 10th Net Inclusion Conference. Dogwood launched the DOI in January 2025 as part of its efforts to make broadband internet available, affordable, and useful for all Western North Carolinians.
The cohort joined more than 800 attendees from across the country for three days of inspiring speeches, in-depth workshops, valuable networking opportunities, and celebration of the digital inclusion community. For WNC attendees, the experience was not only professionally enriching but personally energizing.
“I left with some new connections, fresh ideas, and a strong motivation to bring what I learned back to my collaborative, especially as we refine our approach and deepen our impact within the Hispanic community,” said Yolanda Pinzon Uribe, Outreach and Special Programs Director for Vecinos, an organization providing free, bilingual healthcare services to low-income and uninsured adults in WNC.
Understanding the National Perspective
Through presentations and workshops, cohort members expanded their understanding of the digital inclusion landscape. Yolanda Pinzon Uribe said, “One powerful takeaway for me was seeing digital inclusion framed not just as a tech issue, but as something that deeply intersects with health… education, and economic mobility.”
While many participants appreciated getting a broader view of the digital inclusion field, others felt like they finally learned how to describe the work they had been doing for a long time. Kisha McDowell from Grahamtown Team, a community revitalization organization in Forest City, said, “I have been a digital and nonprofit navigator in so many ways and never knew it.”
Cohort members also found value in the technology demonstrations around the conference. Many were impressed with the Institute for Digital Inclusion Acceleration’s Mobile Hive, a rolling technology hub that brings tools, support, and connectivity directly to communities. “The Hive was the ‘OMG, I have to get one of these’ moments, and it seems as though many thought the same thing,” said one member.
Strengthening Local Connections
Cohort members especially appreciated the opportunity to connect with one another and with the broader North Carolina digital inclusion community. T.J. Smith, Executive Director of the International Friendship Center, said, “This really did provide us all with an opportunity to better know one another and talk about how we can all better integrate our efforts on a regional level as opposed to siloing ourselves in our respective cohorts… just having that time to learn more about one another made this experience invaluable.”
On Wednesday evening, Dogwood Health Trust hosted a North Carolina Networking Happy Hour that brought folks from across the state together to connect and reflect. One participant said, “Mingling with other people from North Carolina was amazing… I was able to meet with people in person I have emailed and ha[d] Zoom meetings with hundreds of times.”
Many members of the WNC cohort played a role in the week’s programming. Bunny Frost, Empowerment Program Manager at Sharing House, hosted a “Birds of a Feather” meet-up on Tuesday night that focused on building resilience, and the WNC community came together… and came through.
“I learned what resilience truly looks like at a meetup I hosted after the first day. When I planned it a week earlier, I was filled with enthusiasm, eager to connect with others. But by the time the event arrived, I was exhausted from the day’s sessions, and my energy was low. I found myself struggling, but a few members of my WNC cohort stepped in with their own enthusiasm and support. They helped re-energize the space and got the conversation flowing. What happened next was incredible… The experience taught me that resilience isn’t a single act but a diverse spectrum of strategies—from organizational wellness days, to community-focused tech solutions, to the simple, physical act of creating with your hands. That evening, the support of my cohort was my own form of resilience, allowing me to be present and learn from the incredible wisdom in that room.”
Bringing It Home
For the Dogwood cohort, Net Inclusion 2025 was more than a conference—it was a catalyst. By connecting with national leaders and deepening local relationships, participants came home with renewed clarity, energy, and a sense of shared purpose. As these Western North Carolinian leaders continue to work to ensure that everyone has access to fast, reliable, and affordable internet, the bonds formed in Phoenix will strengthen their ability to respond creatively, collaboratively, and effectively here at home in the Tar Heel state.
As one attendee put it, “This opened my eyes to see more clearly and to get a greater understanding… [it] allowed all of us to see a bigger picture.”
State Division of Broadband and Digital Opportunity Names Three New Leaders | North Carolina Department of Information Technology | June 27, 2025
The North Carolina Department of Information Technology’s Division of Broadband and Digital Opportunity announced Maggie Woods is the new director of the Office of Digital Opportunity, Christina Strickland is chief deputy general counsel, and Dana Lee is deputy general counsel. The division was created in May 2021 to expand access to high-speed internet, computers, and digital skills to all North Carolinians.
As director of the Office of Digital Opportunity, Maggie Woods is responsible for overseeing the division’s $50 million in economic development efforts to ensure North Carolinians have the skills and technology needed to compete for jobs. Christina Strickland will provide legal guidance for all programs, including the $1.5 billion Broadband Equity, Access and Deployment (BEAD) Program, which will expand high-speed internet access to homes and businesses across the state. Dana Lee joined NCDIT in March 2025 as the division’s deputy general counsel. In this role, she has finalized contracts between counties, internet service providers, and NCDIT for more than $255 million in high-speed internet projects, which will connect nearly 70,000 North Carolina homes and businesses in 83 counties.
Governor Josh Stein Awards High-Speed Internet Projects in 26 Counties, 10,076 Households & Businesses | North Carolina Department of Information Technology | June 10, 2025
Governor Josh Stein announced more than $58 million in Completing Access to Broadband program projects to connect 10,076 households and businesses in 26 counties to high-speed internet. ERC Broadband, LLC in Henderson County received one grant. The award will provide high-speed internet access to 521 homes and businesses (11.04% of the county’s 4,718 eligible locations)
President Trump halts U.S. effort to attain ‘digital equity’ | Context | Carey Biron | May 30, 2025
In a May 8 social media post, President Trump criticized the Digital Equity Act, an unprecedented $2.75 billion law passed under former President Joe Biden—as an unconstitutional “racist … giveaway.” The following day, notices went out saying funding was immediately terminated. The Land of Sky Regional Council, an umbrella group of local governments that sees broadband as a key economic development driver, was thankful to learn in January that they were approved for a $7.7 million Digital Equity Act grant to help veterans, rural households, and seniors. Among the plans was retrofitting a bus into a “computer lab on wheels” to travel to rural areas, she said. Now, such plans are on hold, and Energy and Economic Development Manager Sara Nichols warns neither local governments nor philanthropy can fill the gap.
Links of Interest
Governor Josh Stein signs law banning NC students from using their phones in class | News & Observer | July 1, 2025
Governor Stein Announces Amazon Plans to Invest $10 Billion in North Carolina for AI Infrastructure | NC Office of the Governor | June 4, 2025