Digital Prince William

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PWC Works projects reflect our commitment of striving for exceptional customer service, maximizing operational efficiencies, increasing modernization, providing excellent service delivery, and collaborating with the community for a coordinated response that achieves the best possible outcomes for our residents and the overall wellbeing of the county.


What is Digital Prince William?

Digital Prince William is an initiative established to provide access to high-speed internet countywide, help residents find affordable services and devices, and offer basic technology training opportunities that enable every county resident to develop skills that are essential to their economic and social wellbeing. The program is sponsored by the Department of Information Technology (DoIT) in partnership with multiple county agencies.


Main Goals of Digital Prince William

  • Universal, high-speed broadband availability countywide.

  • Connect residents to affordability programs for broadband services and devices and advocate for affordable options.

  • Help residents sharpen skills that will enable them to better navigate in a technology-driven economy (professional growth, business growth) and stay connected to community, family, friends and government.


Success Criteria for Digital Prince William

  • Increase broadband adoption.

  • Drive up participation in free tech literacy and affordability programs among those who need it most (non-English speaking residents, low-income residents, veterans, older adults, detainees, returning citizens, homeless).

  • Classes completed.

  • Technology certifications achieved.

  • Drive up hotspot and Chromebook loaner program participation.


Major Milestones Completed (2020-Present)

  • Summer 2020: The Prince William Board of County Supervisors (BOCS) issued Directive No. 20-55 on July 21, 2020, directing staff to investigate and propose ideas and/or solutions to provide fast and reliable broadband internet access in rural areas of the County.

  • Fall 2020: In response, DoIT launched the Technology Inclusion Initiative (also known as Digital Prince William or “TII”), which aims to resolve broadband access, affordability and technology literacy issues countywide.

  • Winter 2020: DoIT and Prince William County Schools purchased and deployed over 4,000 hotspots with service for use by Title I students without reliable Internet.

  • Spring 2021: DoIT worked in partnership with the BOCS and the Office of Communication to promote the Federal Communications Commission’s (FCC) temporary Emergency Broadband Benefit (EBB) program that helped households struggling to afford internet service or a computer, laptop or tablet during the COVID-19 pandemic.

  • Summer 2021: DoIT conducted a detailed, countywide broadband canvas and assessment. This study identified the precise locations that are unserved and/or underserved by high-speed internet through direct canvassing and detailed in-person assessments of the county’s residential neighborhoods, business zones, and census blocks.

  • Fall/Winter 2021: DoIT and the Area Agency on Aging piloted a free technology training program branded Digital Prince William through a community partner, specifically targeting older residents. Nearly 40 older adults received 6 hours of training on how to use their Android and Apple smartphones.

  • Summer 2022: DoIT assessed best practices in other jurisdictions for addressing broadband access, affordability and technology literacy and developed a draft plan for how the County can drive broadband adoption by focusing on these three pillars.

  • Summer 2022: The BOCS allocated some of the County’s American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funding to support the Digital Prince William program.

  • Fall 2022: DoIT began establishing partnerships with key County agencies such as Prince William Public Libraries, Area Agency on Aging and Community Services to support plans for expanding free technology training classes.

  • Spring 2023: DoIT hired the County’s first Digital Navigator, bilingual in English and Spanish, to provide free technology training in the libraries and senior centers, and a Program Manager to build and scale the program.

  • Summer 2023: DoIT deployed the Northstar Digital Literacy Platform in the libraries, senior centers and for the Department of Community Services’ Vocational Services group to support free technology skills assessment and training in English and Spanish.

  • Summer 2023: DoIT was awarded a $247,000 competitive outreach grant to promote the Federal Communications Commission’s (FCC’s) Affordable Connectivity Program, which provided low-cost or no-cost internet services to qualified households through the spring of 2024.

  • Year End 2023: DoIT conducted over 50 free technology assessments and training classes in the libraries, senior centers, and the Virtual Center for Active Adults over a five-month period.

  • Spring 2024: DoIT identified and began positioning to secure new state and federal grants that will be available in 2025 and future years to support delivering high-speed broadband access to those areas of the county that remain unserved or underserved. Some of these grants also support digital literacy and affordability initiatives.

  • Summer 2024: Prince William County awarded a contract to Verizon, following a competitive procurement process, to install broadband fiber-optic infrastructure in 470 unserved and underserved areas of the county.


PWC Works projects reflect our commitment of striving for exceptional customer service, maximizing operational efficiencies, increasing modernization, providing excellent service delivery, and collaborating with the community for a coordinated response that achieves the best possible outcomes for our residents and the overall wellbeing of the county.


What is Digital Prince William?

Digital Prince William is an initiative established to provide access to high-speed internet countywide, help residents find affordable services and devices, and offer basic technology training opportunities that enable every county resident to develop skills that are essential to their economic and social wellbeing. The program is sponsored by the Department of Information Technology (DoIT) in partnership with multiple county agencies.


Main Goals of Digital Prince William

  • Universal, high-speed broadband availability countywide.

  • Connect residents to affordability programs for broadband services and devices and advocate for affordable options.

  • Help residents sharpen skills that will enable them to better navigate in a technology-driven economy (professional growth, business growth) and stay connected to community, family, friends and government.


Success Criteria for Digital Prince William

  • Increase broadband adoption.

  • Drive up participation in free tech literacy and affordability programs among those who need it most (non-English speaking residents, low-income residents, veterans, older adults, detainees, returning citizens, homeless).

  • Classes completed.

  • Technology certifications achieved.

  • Drive up hotspot and Chromebook loaner program participation.


Major Milestones Completed (2020-Present)

  • Summer 2020: The Prince William Board of County Supervisors (BOCS) issued Directive No. 20-55 on July 21, 2020, directing staff to investigate and propose ideas and/or solutions to provide fast and reliable broadband internet access in rural areas of the County.

  • Fall 2020: In response, DoIT launched the Technology Inclusion Initiative (also known as Digital Prince William or “TII”), which aims to resolve broadband access, affordability and technology literacy issues countywide.

  • Winter 2020: DoIT and Prince William County Schools purchased and deployed over 4,000 hotspots with service for use by Title I students without reliable Internet.

  • Spring 2021: DoIT worked in partnership with the BOCS and the Office of Communication to promote the Federal Communications Commission’s (FCC) temporary Emergency Broadband Benefit (EBB) program that helped households struggling to afford internet service or a computer, laptop or tablet during the COVID-19 pandemic.

  • Summer 2021: DoIT conducted a detailed, countywide broadband canvas and assessment. This study identified the precise locations that are unserved and/or underserved by high-speed internet through direct canvassing and detailed in-person assessments of the county’s residential neighborhoods, business zones, and census blocks.

  • Fall/Winter 2021: DoIT and the Area Agency on Aging piloted a free technology training program branded Digital Prince William through a community partner, specifically targeting older residents. Nearly 40 older adults received 6 hours of training on how to use their Android and Apple smartphones.

  • Summer 2022: DoIT assessed best practices in other jurisdictions for addressing broadband access, affordability and technology literacy and developed a draft plan for how the County can drive broadband adoption by focusing on these three pillars.

  • Summer 2022: The BOCS allocated some of the County’s American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funding to support the Digital Prince William program.

  • Fall 2022: DoIT began establishing partnerships with key County agencies such as Prince William Public Libraries, Area Agency on Aging and Community Services to support plans for expanding free technology training classes.

  • Spring 2023: DoIT hired the County’s first Digital Navigator, bilingual in English and Spanish, to provide free technology training in the libraries and senior centers, and a Program Manager to build and scale the program.

  • Summer 2023: DoIT deployed the Northstar Digital Literacy Platform in the libraries, senior centers and for the Department of Community Services’ Vocational Services group to support free technology skills assessment and training in English and Spanish.

  • Summer 2023: DoIT was awarded a $247,000 competitive outreach grant to promote the Federal Communications Commission’s (FCC’s) Affordable Connectivity Program, which provided low-cost or no-cost internet services to qualified households through the spring of 2024.

  • Year End 2023: DoIT conducted over 50 free technology assessments and training classes in the libraries, senior centers, and the Virtual Center for Active Adults over a five-month period.

  • Spring 2024: DoIT identified and began positioning to secure new state and federal grants that will be available in 2025 and future years to support delivering high-speed broadband access to those areas of the county that remain unserved or underserved. Some of these grants also support digital literacy and affordability initiatives.

  • Summer 2024: Prince William County awarded a contract to Verizon, following a competitive procurement process, to install broadband fiber-optic infrastructure in 470 unserved and underserved areas of the county.