Join Login Contact Us
NATOA Logo

Community Broadband & Digital Equity Awards

Recognizing champions of local interests in broadband technology

What are the NATOA Community Broadband and Digital Equity Awards?

Throughout the United States, numerous exceptional leaders in government, business and the community are serving as champions of local interests and needs in broadband and technology. NATOA's Community Broadband & Digital Equity Awards annually recognize these efforts and achievements.

The Community Broadband Awards are announced at NATOA's annual conference each fall and the recipients are highlighted on NATOA's website.

What are the Award categories?

Awards are presented in the following FOUR categories:

  1. Community Broadband and Digital Equity Hero of the Year - individual award
  2. Community Broadband Project of the Year
  3. Digital Equity Project of the Year
  4. Community Broadband and Digital Equity Innovative Partnership Award

How do I nominate my community for a Community Broadband and Digital Equity Award?

The nominee and/or nominator DOES NOT need to be a member of NATOA - these awards are designed to recognize the best of the best throughout the county. The Call for Nominations will open this summer and winners will be announced at the 2021 Annual Conference taking place virtually.

There is no fee to make nominations. If you have questions, please contact Brian Roberts at brian.roberts@sfgov.org.

Who are the past recipients?

  • Community Broadband Project of the Year: Guadalupe Valley Electric Coop
  • Digital Equity Project of the Year: Digital Charlotte
  • Community Broadband and Digital Equity Innovative Partnership: City of Huntington Beach, American Tower & Phillips Lighting – Smart Fusion Poles
    • Community Broadband Hero of the Year: Jordana Barton, Senior Advisor, Federal Reserve Bank of Dallas, TX
    • Community Broadband Project of the Year: Prince George County, VA Rural Fiber Broadband Public/Private Partnership
    • Digital Equity Project of the Year: Los Angeles, CA “Our Cycle LA Program”
    • Community Broadband and Digital Equity Innovative Partnership: Arlington County, VA Digital Inclusion Initiative

    This year’s awards program was generously sponsored by Mobilitie.

      • Community Broadband Hero of the Year: Danna MacKenzie, State of MN Office of Broadband Development
      • Community Broadband Project of the Year: Longmont Power & Communications, Longmont, CO
      • Community Broadband Strategic Plan of the Year: Seattle, WA “Strategic Plan for Facilitating Equitable Access to Wireless Broadband”
      • Digital Equity Project of the Year: Seattle, WA “Technology Matching Fund”
      • Community Broadband Innovative Partnership of the Year: Garrett County, MD & Declaration Networks Group, Inc.
      • Community Broadband Hero of the Year – FCC Commissioner Jessica Rosenworcel
      • Community Broadband Project of the Year – City of Ammon, Idaho
      • Community Broadband Strategic Plan of the Year – Portland, Oregon Digital Equity Action Plan (DEAP)
      • Digital Equity Project of the Year – City and County of San Francisco’s SF Connected Program
      • Community Broadband Innovative Partnership Award – Minnesota’s RS Fiber Cooperative
      • Community Broadband Visionary – Mary Beth Henry
      • Community Broadband Heroes of the Year: Jeremy Pietzold and Joe Knapp
      • Community Broadband Project of the Year: City of Ellensburg, WA
      • Community Broadband Strategic Plan of the Year: LinkNYC
      • Digital Equity Project of the Year: Digital Dojo Coding Team in Eugene, OR
      • Community Broadband Innovative Partnership of the Year: City of Westminster, MD and TING
      • Community Broadband Visionary: Charles Benton
      • Community Broadband Heroes of the Year: Senator Matt Schmit and Representative Erik Simonson
      • Community Broadband Project of the Year: Martin County, FL and Oconee FOCUS
      • Community Broadband Organization of the Year: Older Adults Technology Services (OATS)
      • Community Broadband Fiber Network of the Year: The Hartford Metro Area Network (HMAN)
      • Community Broadband Wireless Network of the Year: City of Wilmington, NC and New Hanover County
      • Community Broadband Visionary: FCC Chairman Tom Wheeler
      • Community Broadband Hero of the Year: Deb Socia, City of Boston
      • Community Broadband Project of the Year: NC Next Generation Network (NCNGN)
      • Community Broadband Organization of the Year: Network Startup Resource Center, OR
      • Community Broadband Fiber Network of the Year: Longmont, CO
      • Community Broadband Wireless Network of the Year: Terra, Alaska
      • Community Broadband Visionary: Alberto Carvalho

      • Community Broadband Hero of the Year: John Windhausen
      • Community Broadband Project of the Year: Urbana-Champaign Big Broadband (UC2B)
      • Community Broadband Organizations of the Year: Institute for Local Self Reliance and Massachusetts Broadband Institute
      • Community Broadband Fiber Projects of the Year: City of Wilson, NC and Clackamas County, OR
      • Community Broadband Wireless Network of the Year: Port Angeles, WA
      • Community Broadband Visionary: Blair Levin

      • Community Broadband Visionary of the Year: Chris Vein, CIO, City and County of San Francisco 
      • Community Broadband Hero of the Year: John L. Byrd, Harris County (TX) Sheriff’s office 
      • Community Broadband Organization of the Year: City of Monticello, MN 
      • Community Broadband Project of the Year: MI Connection 
      • Community Broadband Wireless Network of the Year: Digital Redwoods, Digital Rio Dell, and Access Humboldt 
      • Community Broadband Fiber Network of the Year: Bristol Virginia Utilities