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North Carolina’s Broadband Infrastructure Office released its Digital Inclusion Plan Template and Guide this week to help local governments create plans for closing the state's digital divide.

According to the department, the guide is a reference for municipalities to design their own plans for managing their tech and infrastructural needs and assets. So far, officials said, 14 communities throughout the state have used the template to formulate initiatives to “level the playing field” for families who don't have the broadband access and devices necessary for remote work and schooling.

“As the necessity of the Internet has increased, so have the inequities for people who do not have access to or cannot afford the technologies, tools and skills needed to participate in our digital world,” North Carolina CIO Jim Weaver said in a news release. “Closing this digital divide and achieving digital equity is critical for our residents and our state to thrive.”