How New York’s Finger Lakes region is building a coalition to close its digital divide

The Finger Lakes Digital Inclusion Coalition is a group situated in the rural counties to the south and west of Rochester (NY). The experience here demonstrates the specific barriers faced by rural communities, giving a face to national data. The coalition also proves how communities cannot just wait for outside help—their success relies on bootstrap innovation and consensus-building to help attract support from their state and federal partners. Already, coalition members and partner groups in the region have begun experimenting with a host of creative solutions to expand broadband access. Some school districts have begun providing internet access on long bus rides that take kids to and from school. And libraries lend a limited number of 4G Wi-Fi hotspots to residents, granting at least temporary in-home internet access. However, these interventions are patchwork solutions, and more work is needed to connect the region in a sustainable way. As individual actors, advocates in Finger Lakes are limited. However, working together, the coalition members believe they can more strongly advocate for rural broadband needs. This is a crucial step that many rural communities can take in order to build the power necessary to institute change.