A few years ago, Chairman Jeff McKay and Franconia District Supervisor Rodney Lusk led the development team to cut the ribbon at the Workforce Development Center in Mount Vernon where computer skills and internet access are a focus.
Most of the residents of Virginia have a computer but not all the computer owners use the internet and those that do use the internet pay an average monthly price of $86.70 which is 12 percent higher than the national average. Virginians aren't really happy with their coverage says an internet group called "high speed internet."
"That ranks Virginia 39th nationwide for internet customer satisfaction," they said.
Broken down into the Virginia cities that have the fastest internet, Glen Allen is the highest with an average upload speed of 137.68 megabytes per second, followed by Centreville with an average upload speed of 118
Hands on training at Mount Vernon’s WISH center in Fairfax County.
All this speed up and downloading and internet coverage is a statistic to note, but many in Fairfax County are not at that level and county officials are working to improve the "digital equity," a term the county uses to ensure opportunities for Fairfax County residents to participate and engage in a connected community, it stated on the county website. Ideally, the state of “digital equity” would mean affordable hardware and connections, awareness of the resources and advancement of digital literacy.
A county map of internet coverage shows that an estimated 9,788 households have no internet connection which is approximately 2.4 percent of all households in the county.
While the County’s Digital Equity and Inclusion work is intended to address countywide internet availability and adoption, it is part of the County's broader Countywide Strategic Plan and One Fairfax racial and social equity policy. These include goals of economic opportunity, empowerment and promoting equity, the county said. Internet affordability, awareness, access, and advancement are important components of these goals so there is a particular focus on digital equity in all communities, including the Mount Vernon District. A map shows the sections that are lacking.
"Our Countywide Strategic Plan also calls for expanding and enhancing the technology skills of learners of all ages, while eliminating barriers to digital access," the county said. The plan is to eliminate barriers hindering residents from accessing broadband and technology through five strategies: advancement, access, affordability, awareness and adoption.
Fairfax County’s future goal is to make sure all residents will have the resources and skills to participate and thrive in digitally connected communities. Only about three percent of residents in Fairfax County do not have digital access, but we do not have data on whether that is by choice or due to other factors, said county official Meredith Martinez.