Shutesbury, Hadley lauded for digital inclusion

Shutesbury Town Hall.

Shutesbury Town Hall. STAFF FILE PHOTO

By SCOTT MERZBACH

Staff Writer

Published: 01-25-2025 8:34 PM

Both Shutesbury and Hadley are being recognized as Digital Inclusion Trailblazers by the National Digital Inclusion Alliance, an Ohio-based nonprofit, for their efforts to close the digital divide for residents by providing access to affordable, high-speed internet and digital skills training.

Among 60 winners across the country, with another area recipient being the Franklin Regional Council of Governments in Greenfield, the awards come as a way to highlight the work to ensure all people have the tools to navigate the internet confidently and independently.

For Shutesbury, the ShutesburyNET high-speed broadband network was completed in 2019 after being funded by the town’s taxpayers with a $1.69 million Proposition 2½ debt-exclusion override in 2015 and money from the state’s Last Mile Program. The municipally owned and operated Municipal Light Plant serves more than 90% of the town’s residents with gigabit speed broadband.

Municipal Light Plant Manager Gayle Huntress said building ShutesburyNET was a true community effort and the town should take pride in winning the award, which has also gone to much bigger communities.

“Major cities like Austin, San Diego and Seattle have won this award,” Huntress said. “So, it means even more that we were recognized as such a small town.”

Shutesbury has been working on getting the last 10% of residents connected and doing surveys to identify gaps in internet access.

In Hadley, Alexander LaMarche, director of Hadley Media and chair of the town’s Digital Equity Steering Committee, said the award shows that the town is on the right track to success with its digital equity journey.

“This is not just an award or designation, it’s also validity,” LaMarche said.

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According to the National Digital Inclusion Alliance, trailblazers provide models for other local governments to aspire to as communities build digital inclusion ecosystems.

Executive Director Angela Siefer said these are about celebrating work to bring digital opportunities to all residents.

“In the past decade, we’ve seen local governments step into the important role of building digital inclusion ecosystems, where organizations that provide services can connect and thrive,” Siefer said.

Shutesbury achieved its status by prioritizing digital inclusion for residents through full townwide coverage, providing subsidized service for residents in need and working with neighboring communities on digital equity solutions.

Hadley achieved its status by prioritizing digital inclusion for residents by drafting a digital equity plan and holding a public hearing to get input from residents about their needs. Those include underserved and unserved areas of Cemetery, Honey Pot and Moody Bridge roads, as well as residents with unreliable broadband internet.

The Digital Inclusion Trailblazers, awarded since 2016, come after an applicant’s materials are verified for accuracy, assessed for community impact, and posted using an interactive map and searchable database on the organization’s website.

Scott Merzbach can be reached at smerzbach@gazettenet.com.