City and County Recognized for the Fifth Year in a Row for Investing in Digital Inclusion
CHATTANOOGA, TN – January 27, 2025: The National Digital Inclusion Alliance (NDIA) named the City of Chattanooga and Hamilton County as a 2024 Digital Inclusion Trailblazer, marking the fifth year receiving this designation.
This national program recognizes the city and county’s efforts to close the digital divide, including supporting local nonprofit efforts like The Enterprise Center’s Tech Goes Home; investing in access to broadband through HCS EdConnect powered by EPB; and providing digital programming and resources through libraries and community centers.
NDIA awarded 60 municipal, county, and regional governments that are building digitally inclusive communities across America. Chattanooga and Hamilton County were among 34 Visionary Digital Inclusion Trailblazers, a status that indicates communities that have deeply integrated digital inclusion through their government.
In an increasingly connected society, digital inclusion—access to affordable high-speed internet, devices, and digital skills training—is essential not only to participate in today’s world but also to find greater opportunities to thrive using tools to navigate the internet confidently and independently.
“Chattanooga is proudly building on our legacy as the ‘Gig City’ by making sure every resident can access the internet safely, affordably, and effectively,” said Chattanooga Mayor Tim Kelly. “The work of Tech Goes Home and The Enterprise Center reflects more than a decade of innovative leadership and collaboration to bridge the digital divide in every corner of our city.”
“We have prioritized expanding broadband to rural areas like Birchwood to ensure no household is left out of the digital revolution,” said Hamilton County Mayor Weston Wamp. “This is about more than connectivity—it’s about creating opportunities for education, growth, and a stronger future for our entire community.”

“As The Enterprise Center celebrates a decade of Tech Goes Home classes in our city and county, we’re excited to continue providing digital literacy classes and tech training to a full range of individuals from early childhood educators and entrepreneurs to older adults,” said Sammy Lowdermilk, Interim President and CEO of The Enterprise Center. “These programs wouldn’t be possible without the support of local government, partner organizations, and our expert team of trainers and facilitators.”
“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,” said Angela Siefer, National Digital Inclusion Alliance (NDIA) Executive Director. “NDIA’s Digital Inclusion Trailblazers celebrates these critical efforts to bring digital opportunities to all residents.”
Trailblazers provide models for other local governments to aspire to as communities build digital inclusion ecosystems. Chattanooga and Hamilton County achieved Trailblazer status by prioritizing digital inclusion for residents of their communities through:
- Investing in The Enterprise Center’s digital inclusion program, Tech Goes Home, reaching 9,000 Hamilton County residents with digital skills training, devices, and access to low-cost internet.
- Supporting and funding HCS EdConnect powered by EPB, which delivers high-speed internet at no cost to the households of every Hamilton County School student who qualifies based on household income. Now in its fifth year, the program serves nearly 28,000 residents, including more than 16,000 students.
- Ensuring public libraries and community centers are hubs for digital access, providing computers and other devices, public WiFi, classes, workforce training, and other vital resources.
NDIA’s Digital Inclusion Trailblazers has set the national standard for excellent digital inclusion work since 2016. Each applicant’s materials are verified for accuracy, assessed for community impact, and posted in an interactive map and searchable database on NDIA’s website. NDIA highlights communities like Chattanooga and Hamilton County to provide advocates and local governments ways to continue learning, connect with trailblazing peers, and plan their own digital inclusion solutions.