Volunteers in Chester County are helping to close connectivity gaps in Pennsylvania’s wealthiest county as government support falls behind, writes Sarah Huffman for Technical.ly.
Joan Holliday and Jim Mercante have dedicated their post-retirement years to advocating for expanded internet access in southern Chester County.
“We believe that the internet is one of the foundational elements for economic democracy in the 21st century and beyond,” said Mercante, who previously owned a tech company. “What drives me is the fact that I’ve had the good fortune through a lot of hard work to be pretty successful, and this is a way of giving back to the community.”
So far, they have raised hundreds of thousands of dollars to fund digital access and raise awareness of the issue in communities. However, they have not yet secured formal support from the local government.
They had intended to supplement their efforts with funding from the federal Digital Equity Act, but the program was canceled this summer. Now, they must rely entirely on foundations, nonprofits, and other partners for support.
“It is difficult to get the attention of the county, because it appears we don’t have a problem,” said Holliday. “People that have money have been able to get fiber. This population is invisible.”
Read more about Joan Holliday and Jim Mercante’s efforts to raise awareness about Internet connection in Technical.ly.
_______
