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Updated May 1st, 2021
Athens County is a unique place; anchored by the oldest university in Ohio, it is also part of the Appalachian region and shaped by its history of extractive industries like mining and logging. Both opportunity and poverty have existed here for most of the county’s history.
Today, Appalachia as a whole is one of the places where the “Digital Divide” is felt the most in this country. The physical infrastructure for the internet does not reach many people who live in rural areas, and a distance that can be measured by a short car trip can mean no access to online news, shopping, or education. Many small towns and unincorporated areas lack the tax base to provide more than the bare minimum of public services.
This guide is an attempt to collect the available digital resources in Athens County in one place. It’s fairly small, but hopefully growing.
“Digital Literacy” is the ability to effectively use the digital communication technology that is an increasingly vital part of our economic, civic and social lives.
“Digital Citizenship” is the next step, moving beyond the passive consumption of information to the ability to use these tools to effect change in your communities.
Broadband map of Athens County, created by Connect Ohio. Almost 25% of the county, about 6,000 households, lacks the infrastructure for broadband internet as defined by the FCC.
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