Fairview Gresham Portland Troutdale Wood Village Multnomah County

YOUR VO!CE and your experience empowers MHCRC member jurisdictions to advocate for the communications technology needs of our communities at the local, state and federal level.

community-chat-talk-brainstorming

The Your Vo!ce, Our Communications Technology study is an initiative of the Mt. Hood Cable Regulatory Commission to assess the communications technology needs of our community every ten years.

The study incorporates input from government, education, nonprofit, health and business sectors as well as feedback from community leaders and individual community members living or working in the cities of Fairview, Gresham, Portland, Troutdale, and Wood Village, and Multnomah County.

The study provides important, local information on the distinct needs of our community. Outcomes from the study will be used to:

  • Inform cable franchise negotiations with cable television service providers
  • Inform the City of Portland and Multnomah County Digital Equity Action Plan (DEAP) which provides county-wide guidance on digital equity and inclusion priorities to governments, grantors, educators and nonprofits
  • Provide local data to support state and national discussions on policy and legislation

This website provides highlights from the study, and a link to download the complete study document.

Study Highlights

news and links to additional data and support materials:

Accessibility and Digital Literacy

Why doesn’t everyone have broadband at home? Where do we learn how to use the internet safely? How do we overcome barriers to internet connectivity at home? How does digital literacy impact our employment opportunities?In this section you will find study results that attempt to understand the core barriers we encounter when acquiring and learning new technology.

Read Study Findings

Changes in Access to Communications Technology Over the Past Ten Years

How has the demand and availability of network capacity changed? How have the ways we access content and adopt technology changed? How has the role of local government changed?In this section you will find study results that compare our current communications technology study results to local data collected by the MHCRC 10 years ago.

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Communications Technology and Services in Our Communities Today

What influences the decisions we make in how and where we access the internet? What motivates us to adopt technology? How does broadband adoption affect our opportunities and prosperity? What is the current state of communications infrastructure available in our communities today?In this section you will find study results that illustrate the state of communications technology and services in use today.

Read Study Findings

Local Governments’ Role in Meeting Community Technology Needs

What role does local government have in fostering competition, education and adoption? Is the internet an essential utility? What areas of community concern should local government focus on?In this section you will find study results that illustrate community expectations of local government.

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Our Communities’ Future Needs and Interests

Why does rapid advancement in technology further widen the digital equity gap? What drives the constant growth in technology and services? What skills will be most relevant in the future economy? How will future technologies impact content creation, communication and human engagement?In this section you will find study results that capture our communities’ needs and interests for future communications technology and services.

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The Impact of Existing Cable-related Public Benefits

How have technology grants to nonprofits and schools benefitted our community? How important are cable franchise fees to the MHCRC member jurisdictions? Is customer service good enough? How have cable-related franchise requirements and benefits supported our local communities?In this section you will find study results that capture the impact cable-related public benefits have had in our community.

Read Study Findings