March 3, 2016
Melange is an Appalachian-based organization dedicated to the encouragement of self-sustainable programs with communities in need through multicultural arts, media and education. Through the Rural Broadband Campaign Melange aims to utilize lobbying, public education and research to secure the development and implementation of affordable publicly-owned broadband for rural Tennesseans.
Currently, as many as 20% of Tennesseans, over one million people, have little or no access to reliable high-speed Internet service. Broadband access is extremely important to local communities and is a vital component for healthy economic growth, quality of life improvements, public safety and education.
With the support of Voqal Fund, Melange aims to engage in the lobbying and public education processes to secure the legal protections public utilities need to begin the installation and provision of high-speed fiber optic internet service to underserved and underrepresented communities in East Tennessee.
Melange is a member organization of the Sustainable and Equitable Agricultural Development (SEAD) Task Force. That Task Force is a coalition of nearly a dozen rural groups leading the broadband campaign.