Technology
Chattanooga's Fiber-Powered Digital Literacy Programs Set It Apart on the World Stage
The city's early investment in universal broadband has created training models that other industrial centers now study.
How we reported this
Chattanooga opened three new digital literacy labs this month at the Edney Innovation Center on Market Street, giving residents free access to equipment and classes that teach coding, data security and smart manufacturing tools.
The expansion arrives as global supply chains shift toward cities that can train workers quickly in digital skills, and Chattanooga's setup stands out because its network reaches both downtown offices and outlying neighborhoods without the gaps seen elsewhere.
Training sites tied to local industry
Classes at the Edney center focus on skills used by firms along the Tennessee River corridor, while a second site at the Chattanooga Public Library branch on Broad Street runs evening sessions for shift workers from the Volkswagen plant. Instructors there use the city's EPB fiber lines to run live simulations of factory automation, letting participants practice on the same systems they will encounter on the job.
Another program operates from the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga campus on McCallie Avenue, where students from nearby high schools learn to maintain drone inspection equipment used by local utilities. These locations share curriculum developed with input from manufacturers rather than generic online modules.
Numbers that show reach
Since the original EPB fiber buildout began in 2010, more than 100,000 homes and businesses now connect at gigabit speeds, and city records show 4,800 adults completed at least one digital literacy course in the past twelve months at an average cost of zero dollars to participants. Enrollment data from the library branch alone rose 22 percent between January and June 2026.
City officials plan to add two more labs by December, one in the Alton Park neighborhood and another near the North Shore commercial district. Residents can register for upcoming sessions through the EPB website or by visiting the Broad Street library desk with proof of address.